England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ father Ged Stokes passed away on Tuesday after battling brain cancer from the last year. Ged was a former rugby league international player and worked for Workington Town post his retirement.
He fell ill during England’s home series against Pakistan that led Ben Stokes to pull out from the series and fly to Christchurch. Ben Stokes played only one Test match against Pakistan before leaving for New Zealand to be with his father.
The club Workington Town announced him the news of his demise for which he played between only one season between 1982-83. Later, he became the coach of the same club’s team in 2003 while immigrating to Cumbria from New Zealand with his family.
“It is with great sadness that we learn our former player and coach Ged Stokes has passed away,” the club wrote in a tribute on Twitter.”Ged is written into the rich fabric of Town history and will be greatly missed.
“Our thoughts are with Deb, Ben and James. Ged still has many, many friends here in West Cumbria and we send our thoughts to them too.”
Ged’s brain cancer was diagnosed during England’s Test tour of South Africa in December last year, enabling Ben indefinite leave to let him spend time with his father.
Before heading to the UAE for the IPL 13, Stokes said,
“Saying goodbye to my dad, my mum and my brother in Christchurch was tough,” Stokes wrote in October in his column in the Daily Mirror. “It has been a difficult time for us as a family, but we’ve pulled together and supported each other as best we can.
“And I was able to get on the plane with my parents’ love and blessing after we reached the decision, for me to get back playing, as a family with no external influences,” he concluded.
