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InDepth headlines national business sports cricket regional entertainment technology world travel autos health | Graham Thorpe retires from Test cricket 22.40 IST 22nd July 2005 By Agencies 
England batsman Graham Thorpe announced his retirement from Test cricket on Friday.The left-hander, left out of the side to play Australia in the Ashes first Test and replaced by Kevin Pietersen, played 100 tests, averaging 44.66. The 35-year-old, who had already retired from one-day internationals, said in a statement: "My partner is having a baby in the next couple of weeks and I have decided that I want to concentrate on my family life." England chairman of selectors David Graveney said: "Graham was one of the leading players of his generation and that is reflected by the fact that he has collected 100 caps. "You can judge what a feat that is by looking at the list of other players who have reached that number of appearances. He will be remembered as a tenacious batsman who served England with great ability and great pride." The announcement, which came on the same day that Pietersen scored a half-century on his debut against Australia, caused some surprise. Thorpe had already announced he would retire from international cricket at the end of the season to coach in New South Wales but was expected to be the first in line if any England batsman was injured during the five-match Ashes series. GRAHAM THORPE FACTFILE 1969: Born August 1, Farnham, Surrey. 1984: Achieved first of many schoolboy representative honours when playing for England Under-15s. He was also later to play in the England Under-19s and England Schools football under-18 side. 1988: County debut for Surrey. 1989-90: Toured with England A for first time, in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Subsequent A tours took him to Pakistan in 1990/91, Bermuda and West Indies in 1991-92, and Australia in 1992-93. 1991: Awarded county cap by Surrey. 1992: Consolidated growing reputation in first-class game by making 216 against Somerset at The Oval. 1993: Made century on Test match debut for England in home Ashes series at Trent Bridge. Recorded best bowling figures against the Australians, this time for Surrey at The Oval, where he took 4-40. 1993-94: First overseas tour with England to West Indies. Went on further tours to Australia (1994-95), South Africa (1995-96), India and Pakistan for the World Cup in 1996 and Zimbabwe and New Zealand in 1996-97. He scored centuries in successive Tests in New Zealand. 1997: Hit 138 and shared in double-century stand with Nasser Hussain in England's surprise first Ashes Test victory at Edgbaston. Registered 222 against Glamorgan at The Oval - and was also picked for fifth consecutive England tour and second in the Caribbean. 1998: Made 103 in a sixth-wicket stand of 205 with Mark Ramprakash at Bridgetown in fifth Test against West Indies. 1998-99: Toured Australia with England, hitting highest first-class score of 223 not out against South Australia in Adelaide. 1999: Played in England's unsuccessful World Cup campaign and also helped Surrey win their first county championship since 1971. After a moderate series for England against New Zealand, during which he stood in as captain for the second half of the nine-wicket defeat at Lord's, he announced he would be unavailable to tour South Africa. 2000: Battled his way back into the Test reckoning and secured a central contract after a summer, which saw England beat Zimbabwe and the West Indies. Helped Surrey win their second consecutive county championship title. 2000-01: Became an integral part of England's winter of success in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where Hussain's tourists came out on top in both Test tours to make it four consecutive series wins. Hit the winning runs against Pakistan in Karachi where he made 64 not out and capped his winter with a man-of-the-match performance against Sri Lanka in the deciding Test in Colombo where he hit an unbeaten 113 in the first innings of a low-scoring game. March 19 - Chosen as captain for the one-day series in Sri Lanka to replace the injured Hussain. 2001: Calf injury and broken hand ruled him out of all but one match of the Ashes series, although awarded a central contract and shared in a record partnership for any wicket for England in Tests against Pakistan (267) with Michael Vaughan at Old Trafford. Voted man of the series against Pakistan. Called up for England one-day tour to Zimbabwe but came home early from Test tour of India for personal reasons, although he returned for one-day clashes. 2002: Shared in record sixth-wicket stand against New Zealand with Andrew Flintoff in first Test - 281 - at Christchurch. His score of 200 not out beat his previous highest Test score, scored against Australia in 1997. July 13 - Announced retirement from one-day international cricket. July 29 - Announced his decision to take an immediate break from all cricket after an indifferent performance - he scored just five runs - in England's first Test victory over India at Lord's. Claimed he wanted to spend more time with his young family. August 30 - Claimed he is ready to make a return to cricket, saying: "There is more clarity in my life and I can see the way forward." September 10 - England selectors keep faith and include Thorpe in a 16-man squad for the Ashes series against Australia. September 11 - Returns to play for Surrey in County Championship match against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Scores 19 in the first innings, followed by a superb 143 to help Surrey to victory. September 24 - Informs England he will be unavailable for the winter Ashes series after all. 2003: Recalled to England side for fifth Test against South Africa at The Oval, scoring 124 and sharing in a record third-wicket partnership at the ground (268) with Marcus Trescothick. 2004: April - Hit superb 119 not out to rescue England in third Test against West Indies in Barbados. June - Passed 6,000 Test runs in third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, after which he was named man of the match for unbeaten second innings 104 not out. August - Hit 114 in third Test against West Indies at Old Trafford. 2004-05: Tours South Africa with England and awarded central contract for 2005. May: Announces plans to take up a coaching position with New South Wales in winter of 2005-06, effectively ending his Test career after the summer, but England keep faith and Thorpe wins 100th cap against Bangladesh at the Riverside. July 14 - Left out of 12-man England squad for first Test of the summer against Australia, with Kevin Pietersen taking his place. July 22 - Announces retirement from all international cricket with immediate effect. Test career Matches: 77 Runs: 5109 Average: 41.87 Highest score: 200* v NZ in Christchurch 2001/02 Thorpe earned his county cap in 1991 and soon after found his way into the England side, in 1993 against Australia. It was a memorable debut. He scored 114 not out in the second innings as the match ended in a draw. But England had discovered a new star. He retained an excellent record throughout the 90s in an England team, which was too often not upto the mark, and became a crucial part of England's revival under skipper Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher. With good temperament and strokes to match, Thorpe was tailor-made for Test cricket. But that didn't mean he couldn't wallop the bowling around the park if and when the need arose. Against New Zealand in 2001-02, he scored 200 in 330 minutes from 231 balls, with 28 fours and four sixes. The fourth fastest double century of all-time. Thorpe often reserved his best performances for his 'away' matches, in which he averages 44.23, the subcontinent being a particular favourite hunting ground for him. His performances reached a high in Sri Lanka, in March 2001, when he scored two centuries to lead his side to a memorable victory in the series. It did not end there; his thick vein of form continued in Pakistan, where he scored another century. His average in the sub-continent: 58.00 India: 42.00 Pakistan: 56.00 Sri Lanka: 67.00. |
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