England all-rounder Ben Stokes' father diagnosed with brain cancer

England all-rounder Ben Stokes` father Ged has said he was diagnosed with brain cancer in January after a trip to South Africa to watch his son play in the four-Test series.

Ged, a former New Zealand rugby league player, was admitted to hospital in Johannesburg ahead of England`s Boxing Day Test with South Africa last year.

The cancer diagnosis was made on his return to New Zealand.

"They (doctors) had to assess how I travelled and from that they discovered I had a couple of tumours on my brain," the 64-year-old told the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

"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."

Ben, who missed England`s final two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton earlier this month, travelled to New Zealand citing family reasons.

"I didn`t sleep for a week and my head wasn`t really in it," the 29-year-old England vice-captain told the Herald. "Leaving (the team) was the right choice from a mental point of view."