Ged Stokes, father of England all-rounder Ben Stokes, passed away after a year-long battle with brain cancer at the age of 65.
Ged's former rugby team Workington Town posted a statement on Twitter in which the club expressed grief over Ged's demise.
"It is with great sadness that we learn that our former player and coach Ged Stokes has passed away. Ged is written into the rich fabric of Town history and will be greatly missed," the club said.
"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. RIP Marra," it added.
Stokes is currently with the England team in South Africa for the limited over series. He had played all three T20Is and was rested for ODIs, which was cancelled on Monday after multiple cases of COVID-19 were detected in the bio-bubble.
Ged, a former rugby player and coach, had been suffering from brain cancer for some time and Stokes was there in Christchurch for more than a month taking care of his ailing father.
"All our thoughts are with Ben Stokes and his family following the passing of his father, Ged," ECB tweeted from its official handle.
Stokes' famous "bent middle finger" gesture during the 2019 South Africa series was a tribute to his father's amputated finger. Ged had to remove a part of his finger in order to continue playing.
It was Stokes' way of paying tribute to his father for the sacrifices he had made to see him grow as a cricketer.
Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals mourned the demise Ged Stokes. Stokes plays for Rajasthan Royals and is an integral part of the IPL franchise.
"RIP Ged Stokes. One of the greatest characters in our special cricket family. We're with you Ben. Strength to you and your family," Rajasthan Royals wrote on Twitter.
Former Indian opening batsman Wasim Jaffer also condoled the demise of the former rugby player. "Stay strong @benstokes38 the cricket family is with you," Jaffer tweeted.
