England Test captain Ben Stokes has admitted not seeing his dad before his death in December 2020 due to his IPL commitments made him ‘hate cricket’. Stokes lost his dad Gerard aged 65 to brain cancer just under two years ago, after being diagnosed 11 months prior.
At the time, the England star was leaving New Zealand after a winter Test series with his national team to begin his IPL campaign with Rajasthan Royals. Stokes’ cricketing commitments around the world made it hard for him to visit father in his final months.
As a result, the all-rounder has now opened up on the tough period in an interview with the Telegraph . He said: “The last time I saw Dad was leaving New Zealand to go to the Indian Premier League – that was dictated by cricket.