South Africa vs England 2019-20: Ben Stokes could miss Boxing Day Test due to father's illness

England all-rounder Ben Stokes is a doubtful starter for the Boxing Day Test match against South Africa since his father, Ged, has been admitted to a hospital in Johannesburg to be treated for a serious illness.

The star England all-rounder and the England and Wales Cricket Board have requested the media for respect and privacy at such a sensitive time for the family. Stokes will now miss Tuesday's training session with the rest of the team, in order to be at his father's bedside.

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Ged, along with the rest of the Stokes family, are in South Africa to watch the Test series. The ECB statement said:

"Ben Stokes's father, Ged, was admitted to hospital on Monday in Johannesburg after suffering a serious illness. He remains in a critical condition... The all-rounder will not be at England's training session at SuperSport Park this afternoon so that he can be at his father's bedside."

"The England and Wales Cricket Board, with the support of Ben and his family, request that the media and public respect Ben and his family's privacy at this time."

Statement: Ben Stokes➡️ https://t.co/EBdrljIPRF pic.twitter.com/hmsZKRPVRD

— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) December 24, 2019

England have already been coping with injuries to key players like Jofra Archer, Jack Leach, and Stuart Broad, all of whom missed both their warm-up games. If Stokes misses the game as well, it will be a big blow to the visitors' chances of starting the series on a strong note.

Stokes is one of the most important members of the England Test team, and has come to be regarded as the side's talisman. He famously struck an unbeaten 135 against Australia at Headingley this year to lead England to the most unlikely of victories; the innings is widely considered one of the greatest in Test history.