Ged remains in intensive care, “but has responded positively to treatment and is now in a stable condition”, the ECB said in a statement on Wednesday.

The former New Zealand rugby league international was admitted to hospital on Monday with a “serious illness”.

Ben, who missed his team’s training session on Tuesday, ahead of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion, to be by his father’s side, will return to practice on the eve of the Test. The statement did not clarify if he was a certainty in the playing XI.

Thoughts with Ben and his dad. Awful news. I met Ged a couple of times, came across as a very generous man. Will never forget watching them both have an impromptu net at Headingley, Ben bowling offbreaks in his socks, Ged smashing anything short, no inch given

— Phil Walker (@Phil_Wisden) December 24, 2019

“England will train at SuperSport Park today (Christmas Day morning) and Ben is expected to play a full part in the practice ahead of the first Test starting on Boxing Day,” the board said.

Earlier, England Test captain Joe Root stressed the team’s support for the all-rounder at a worrying time for the family, even as he insisted that no decision had been taken on him playing the first Test.

“No [idea] and it would be wrong to go into that now,” Root had told presspersons on Tuesday. “The support, that he is there with his family, that comes first. We will have to wait and see but most importantly we are all there for Ben and the rest of his family.”