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Ben Stokes hugs his father Ged, who has revealed that he is battling brain cancer. (File photo)
England cricket star Ben Stokes’ father is battling brain cancer.
Former Kiwis rugby league international Gerard, known as Ged, revealed his condition in an interview with NZME at his home in Christchurch.
It is the reason why Ben was absent from England’s second and third Test against Pakistan in Southampton, having left after Test 1 to fly home for “family reasons”.
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Ben Stokes celebrated his century against the West Indies last month with the three-fingered tribute to his father.
Ged, a tough rower who auditioned for New Zealand in 1982 before becoming a coach, was diagnosed with the disease in January, shortly after returning from South Africa, where he had fallen ill.
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The 64-year-old was on tour, along with his wife, Deb, and their eldest son, James, watching Ben play, but he was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital in critical condition and spent time in intensive care, later released. 37 days and three surgeries.
Stuff
Ged Stokes went from playing to coaching in rugby league, photographed in 2002 with the Wellington Bartercard Cup team.
At that time it was reported as “a serious illness”. Now, Ged has confirmed that a brain hemorrhage was the cause of the ordeal, and upon returning to New Zealand came his cancer diagnosis.
“They had to evaluate how he was traveling and from there they discovered that he also had a couple of tumors in his brain,” Ged told NZME.
The rise, fall and rise of English superstar Ben Stokes.
“So basically brain cancer. Nobody knows how that happened, but obviously I’ve had a few blows to the head in my life, so that probably contributed to it. “
Ben flew in from England earlier this month and is still in Covid-19 controlled isolation before he can reconnect with his family.
“I didn’t sleep for a week and my head wasn’t really on it,” he told NZME about trying to focus on his cricket during the first test against Pakistan.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Ben Stokes will soon come out of quarantine to connect with parents Deb and Ged in Christchurch. (File photo)
“Leaving [the team] it was the right choice from a mental point of view. “
The 29-year-old off-roader, who played a huge role in the heartbreak of the Black Caps World Cup final last year, has started celebrating on the field with a three-finger salute, a tribute to his father. , who dislocated a finger and asked to have it amputated to speed up his return to the league paddock.
