England batting Graham Thorpe passed away on Monday at 55, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced in a statement. He was considered one of the most complete batters post the Graham-Gooch era.

Thorpe was seriously ill in 2022 after being named Afghanistan’s head coach. He accumulated 6774 runs in Test, 2380 in ODIs, and even featured in five T20s in his career that lasted from 1993 to 2005. The left-handed batter represented Surrey in County Cricket, where he scored over 20,000 runs.

”It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away,” the ECB said in a statement. ”There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death.

”More than one of England’s finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world. His skill was unquestioned, and his abilities and achievements across a 13-year international career brought so much happiness to his teammates and England and Surrey CCC supporters alike. Later, as a coach, he guided the best England Men’s talent to some incredible victories across all formats of the game.

”The cricket world is in mourning today. Our hearts go out to his wife Amanda, his children, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time. We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to the sport.”

Incidentally, England’s Ben Stokes wore a T-shirt with Thorpe written on his back on his first match as the Test captain against New Zealand at Lord’s, after the Surrey batter was hospitalized.

He was part of England’s backroom staff that oversaw the 2019 Men’s World Cup success after joining the ECB in 2010 as lead batting coach.