Ben Stokes wore Graham Thorpe’s name and shirt No.564 as he stepped out for the toss in his first match as England’s full-time Test captain, against New Zealand.
Last month, the former England batter was reported as “very unwell,” and he has been receiving treatment at the hospital since then.
“Everyone is aware that he’s [Thorpe] quite poorly in hospital at the moment,” Stokes remarked ahead of the Lord’s Test’s first day. “On Monday, I spoke with his wife, and she expressed her gratitude for the respect and privacy shown to their family.”
Stokes went on to say that the shirt was a way for the entire team to show their love and support for the icon.
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“I am wearing this shirt on behalf of the England cricket team to show our support for him, his wife, his children, and all of his family and friends during this difficult time because we all adore Thorpey and he means a lot to us.”
He played in 100 Tests and 82 One-Day Internationals for England, scoring 9124 runs in all, including 16 centuries and 60 half-centuries.
Following his retirement, he served as England Men’s Batting Coach from 2010 until 2022, before stepping down after the 4-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia.
