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India vs England 5th Test Day 2: England cricketers and fans wore headbands at The Oval to honour Graham Thorpe on his 56th birth anniversary.
Jacob Bethell and Joe Root are seen wearing headbands (Picture credit: AFP)
England cricketers were seen on Friday wearing white headbands with a blue embroidery of a batter celebrating his hundred and the initials GT, on the occasion of the 56th birth anniversary of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe, who passed away last year.
Not just the players but the fans in the stands at the Oval joined in as well, many sporting the same headbands that Thorpe made iconic during his playing days.
The gesture was part of a special day dedicated to the former England cricketer, who passed away on August 4 last year.
Thorpe, who played 100 Tests for England, was known for his gritty presence in the middle order. He scored 6744 Test runs and was a crucial figure in English domestic cricket with Surrey as well.
Thorpe, who took his life in 2024 after a long struggle with depression, was England’s Mr Dependable during a turbulent period in their cricketing history.
Thorpe’s athleticism was evident early on; he represented England in school football and competed as a county-level long jumper.
Thorpe would have turned 56 on Friday and in his honour, his home ground, The Oval, is marking the occasion with a tribute titled A Day for Thorpey. Headbands have been sold to raise funds for the charity Mind.
“Not many that played with him had a bad word to say about him and we will see the love for him on Friday when the second day of the Oval Test becomes a Day for Thorpey with Surrey, the club he loved, staging it in his memory,” Nasser Hussain wrote in his column for The Daily Mail.
“It was a reminder of how much of a part mental illness plays in sport and how even the toughest characters aren’t immune. Because Graham was the toughest. The person we would all go to if we ever had a problem with the game or stress was getting to us,” Hussain added.
Meanwhile, pacer Gus Atkinson grabbed five wickets as India collapsed on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test against England to be bowled out for 224 in their first innings, in London on Friday.
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