New Delhi, Aug 12 : Following the heartbreaking news of the demise of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe on August 5, the late cricketer's family has now revealed that he took his own life.

'He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life,' revealed his wife Amanda to the British news outlet, The Times.

Thorpe is survived by his wife Amanda and their two daughters Kitty, 22, and Emma, 19.

Thorpe's illustrious career saw him represent England in 100 test matches. His career-best score was 200 runs, which he made against New Zealand during a match played in Christchurch, 2002. In ODIs, Thorpe scored 2380 runs in 77 innings of 82 matches.

'Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately, none of them really seemed to work,' she added.

Thorpe 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

"He was not the same person. It was strange to see this person trapped in the body of Dad. That's why we've been so happy that the many reflections have been about his life before this illness took over. I'm glad that's how everyone does remember him, rightly so, as the complete character he was," said the eldest daughter from his second marriage, Kitty to 'The Times.'

/IANS