GRAHAM THORPE will be remembered as a very good batsman, rather than a great one, who helped England to climb from the bottom of the Test ladder to the secondhighest rung. He marked his debut in 1993 with a hundred against Australia and delivered as much as he promised, but his non-selection for the present Test persuaded him to retire from the international game.

There was a twist in the timing of the announcement yesterday because it coincided with Kevin Pietersen’s attempt to revive England at Lord’s. Those who wanted Thorpe to retain his place argued that he was the best man for a crisis, the batsman England would most like to have striding out at 30 for three. Pietersen entered at 18 for three on Thursday afternoon and confirmed that he, too, can dig in.

Thorpe was discussing a release from his central contract before the Test match began. Not only was he omitted to accommodate Pietersen, but David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, told him that he was down the pecking order of potential replacements. Robert Key, Paul Collingwood and Ed Joyce — whose qualification was approved by the ICC last week — are the leading contenders.

A longstanding back problem counted against him, but his recent scores for Surrey, including 95 against Kent at Guildford two days ago, would appear to confirm his recovery from the latest bout of discomfort. England, though, must still have questioned his ability to withstand the rigours of a five-day game against the best side in the world.

Graveney was annoyed that Thorpe chose not to reveal his intention to play and coach in New South Wales during the winter until after the selectors had picked the team to face Bangladesh in May. In 2002 he had told Graveney that he would be available to tour Australia that winter despite domestic problems, only to pull out once the squad was announced when he began to harbour fresh doubts.

The break-up of his marriage received a full airing in the media but he has found happiness again and his new partner is expecting their child in the next fortnight. He will continue to play at domestic level before considering a full-time move into coaching. A lisp means that he is unlikely to follow contemporaries such as Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton into a media career.

Thorpe has not always enjoyed the best reputation. He was considered brooding and a little selfish in his early days. He was not one of life’s natural conformers. Then, in the middle of his career, he seemed unable to complete a tour for one reason or another. But his personal difficulties, coupled with the maturity that comes with age, resulted in a more rounded outlook.

Hussain, in any case, was prepared to accommodate disparate characters in his side as long as they performed. Thorpe became an integral figure in England’s improvement and, this season, proved sufficiently durable to complete 100 Test appearances. Only seven England players had previously reached that landmark.

He has probably been England’s best all-round batsman since the retirement of Graham Gooch. Atherton, restricted by a chronic back injury, was a more dogged player and Michael Vaughan has to be considered for the style as well as the substance of his runs in Australia in 2002-03. But Thorpe was more adaptable than either.

He could defend or counter-attack and was equally comfortable against pace and spin. His left-handedness raised his value to the England middle order but was never crucial to selection. As a nudger and nurdler in the one-day side, he has yet to be replaced.

His 114 not out against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993 was the first century by an England player on debut since Frank Hayes 20 years earlier. At Lahore in 2000 he reached three figures with only a single boundary. But he considers his unbeaten 119 at Barbados last year, when the next-best score in the England team was 17, as his finest innings.

FOR THE RECORD

1969: Born, August 1, Farnham, Surrey.
Test debut: v Australia, Trent Bridge, July 1993.
Test record: Appearances: 100.
Runs: 6,744.
Average: 44.66.
Hundreds: 16.
Fifties: 39.
Highest score: 200 not out.
One-day debut: v Australia, Old Trafford, 1993.

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