‘I’d swap it for him to be healthy’: Ben Stokes reflects on phenomenal 2019 but admits he’d rather his dad was back on his feet amid serious illness… as he reveals he is ‘making progress’
- Ben Stokes has reflected on an emotional 2019 amid his father’s poor health
- The England cricket star admitted he would trade glory for his father’s well-being
- Ged Stokes left intensive care in hospital in Johannesburg after a serious illness
- Stokes had played a crucial role in England’s World Cup victory in the summer
- And a memorable year was further added to by Stokes’ innings at Headingley
England cricket star Ben Stokes has reflected on a memorable year – but revealed he would trade in the team’s glory for his father’s health and well-being.
The 28-year-old, who was recently also awarded an OBE, had played a crucial role in England’s World Cup victory in the summer, and created more invaluable memories with his heroic innings against Australia at Headingley.
But Stokes admitted that he would rather his father was back on his feet amid his recovery from a serious illness.
Ben Stokes reflected on a memorable year but would swap cricket glory for his father’s health
Ged Stokes recently left intensive care at a hospital in Johannesburg, having been admitted on December 23.
His son had missed training with England the following day to be with his father, and Stokes conceded that the year had been a mixture of extreme emotions.
‘At the end of the most memorable of years I am finding it quite hard to sum up 2019 right now,’ Stokes said in The Mirror.
‘There have been some unbelievable highs, and some real lows, but to see out the year with my dad in hospital has put things into perspective.
‘If someone could say “I’ll take everything away from you that happened this summer, but your dad is happy, healthy and watching you play cricket” then I’d say yeah, swap it.
Stokes was crucial in England’s World Cup victory and enjoyed a heroic innings at Headingley
‘Thankfully where he is now to where he was when he went in has been an unbelievable turnaround, but he’s got a way to go.’
The current BBC Sports Personality of the Year also hailed the support from the local doctor, and revealed he had also spent Christmas Day with his entire family.
He added: ‘The local Dr Gavin Shang has been incredible and couldn’t have done anymore for my dad and the family at the hospital in Johannesburg, and the support we’ve had from elsewhere like from Cricket South Africa through Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher has been really appreciated.
‘If there is a positive to take it is that we were all together to get through it as a family. The idea was for the family to spend Christmas together because we hadn’t done that for seven years. It might have been in a hospital room but we were all together on Christmas Day, and now we’re just glad that he is making progress.’
The 28-year-old is now focused on England’s second Test against South Africa on January 3
Stokes is now fully fit and focused on England’s upcoming second Test with South Africa in Cape Town on January 3.
‘It will be great to get back and play again at Newlands which is one of my favourite grounds in the world for obvious reason,’ he said.
‘Also I was blown away looking at Table Mountain and then with the brewery next to it, you feel like you’re playing in a painting.’
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