Ged Stokes - the father of Ben Stokes - diagnosed with brain cancer

Stokes has a close relationship with his parents

The father of England's Ben Stokes has revealed he has brain cancer.

Ged Stokes, 64, said he was diagnosed with the illness in January after returning to Christchurch from South Africa where he was supporting his son.

The former rugby league player and coach spent five weeks seriously ill in hospital in Johannesburg.

"They had to assess how I travelled and from that they discovered I had a couple of tumours on my brain," Stokes senior told the New Zealand Herald.

"So, basically brain cancer. How that came about nobody knows but obviously I've had a few bangs on my head through my life so that's probably contributed to it."

Stokes junior has arrived in New Zealand to be with his family and is currently in managed isolation to comply with coronavirus procedures

He left the England squad during the Pakistan series, missing the final two Tests.

"I didn't sleep for a week and my head wasn't really in it," the 29-year-old admitted.

"Leaving [the team] was the right choice from a mental point of view."