Thorpe quits tour

England batsman heads home for 'personal' reasons

AHMADABAD, India (AP) -- England's middle-order batsman Graham Thorpe is flying back home Tuesday for personal reasons, English team's spokesman David Clarke said Tuesday.

Surrey cricketer Thorpe, 32, requested Monday night to be relieved for the last two weeks of the six-week tour of India and the request was granted Tuesday morning, Clarke said.

"Pressing matters of a personal nature have arisen that require Graham's immediate attention," said a statement by England's team management.

"The team management requests that Graham's privacy and that of his family be respected by all," the statement said.

Thorpe was one of the three English batsmen to cross the 50-run mark in last week's opening test in the northern Indian city of Mohali, where England crashed to a 10-wicket defeat.

The inability of the English batsmen in getting accustomed to India's slow and dusty pitches has been a major concern for the touring team's management.

Losing one of its most accomplished batsman against India's spinners on designer spin-aiding tracks would be a major blow to the team, Clarke said.

England took the field for the second test match in the western city of Ahmadabad on Tuesday with top-order batsman Michael Vaughan filling in for Thorpe.

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