Former England batsman and coach Graham Thorpe seriously ill in hospital

Former England batsman Graham Thorpe is in hospital after falling seriously ill, the Professional Cricketers’ Association have confirmed on behalf of his family.

The 52-year-old was appointed as head coach of Afghanistan in March after his departure from the England set-up following the winter Ashes series defeat.

A prolific left-handed batsman who represented England across both Test and ODI formats, Thorpe is one of just 15 players to make over a hundred Test matches for the country.

"Graham Thorpe has recently fallen seriously ill and is currently in hospital receiving treatment," read an official PCA statement.

"His prognosis is unclear at this stage and we ask for privacy for him and his family at this time. Our thoughts are with Graham and his family."

A middle-order batsman and slip fielder, Thorpe spent his entire county career with Surrey, where he made his debut in 1988.

At the request of Graham Thorpe’s family, the PCA has released the following statement: https://t.co/AgVZTC15OQ We are all thinking of you, Thorpey! pic.twitter.com/kavUJC9sYh

— PCA (@PCA) May 10, 2022

He made his Test debut in 1993 with a second innings century against Australia at Trent Bridge, and went on to become a fixture in the squad over the next decade.

Thorpe retired from international cricket in 2005, before also hanging up his bat a few months later at domestic level.

He worked in the media before joining the England coaching set-up in 2010, where he remained until earlier this year.