England cricket captain Ben Stokes makes stunning retirement announcement during test match

England captain Ben Stokes stunned the world of cricket on Sunday by announcing his impending retirement from the international game — in the middle of a test match he was playing against New Zealand.

News of the imminent end of Stokes' 15-year England career came in a statement released by the team 15 minutes before the tea interval on Day 4 of the third and deciding test at Trent Bridge.

With the first ball he bowled after the announcement went public, Stokes took a wicket when he got an edge off New Zealand batter Zak Foulkes to second slip where the catch was taken by Harry Brook — possibly the next captain.

It summed up Stokes' international career as a man who delivered in the big moments.

Like in 2019 when he starred for England in its wild win over New Zealand — the country of his birth — in the 50-over World Cup final at Lord’s, hitting 84 before victory was clinched in a Super Over.

Like when he scored the winning runs as England clinched the T20 World Cup in Melbourne in 2022 — the same year he became test captain.

Or like when he made his most memorable knock in test cricket, an unbeaten 135 as England chased down 359 to beat Australia in an Ashes match at Headingley in 2019.

“The reasons can wait (about) why,” Stokes said when dropping news of his retirement to teammates in the England dressing room ahead of Sunday's play, as shown in a video released by England on social media.

“But I’ve had many trips to the well before for this team and I’ve got one more trip to do.”

Stokes was expected to disclose the reasons for his decision at the end of the day's play, or at the end of the match on Monday.

It might have something to do with his recent involvement in an off-field saga that saw him make front-page news by being dropped by England for the second test against New Zealand, amid an investigation into an incident that took place on a night out with teammate Gus Atkinson following the first test at Lord’s.

The two players were in a London nightclub when an England team security official was reportedly struck by a rugby player from English club Saracens.

The England and Wales Cricket Board dropped Stokes and Atkinson, and later said they had “breached specific contractual obligations” and were given a written warning. The sport’s independent oversight panel — the Cricket Regulator body — said after its investigation that there was “insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred.”

Stokes was recalled for the third test but England coach Brendon McCullum and team director Rob Key didn't publicly support their captain during the investigation, which was described as disappointing and frustrating by Stokes.

ECB chairman Richard Thompson said Stokes is “one of England’s greatest ever cricketers and one of the defining figures of his generation.”

“His performances under pressure, his relentless competitiveness and his ability to produce the extraordinary when it matters most have given me and millions of other fans memories that will endure forever,” Thompson said.

“Beyond his remarkable achievements on the field, his performances have inspired many youngsters to embrace cricket with positivity and belief. We are losing a batsman, a bowler, a captain and a talisman.”

A controversial figure, too.

In 2018, Stokes was found not guilty of affray following a late-night street brawl the previous year in Bristol, southwest England, that took place after a victory over the West Indies in an international match.

In the aftermath of his arrest, a newspaper website published footage of the fight, which left two men unconscious. Stokes, who had been drinking heavily, said during the trial that he stepped in to defend two gay men who were being verbally abused.

Stokes lost his England vice-captaincy and a place on an Ashes tour, but was reinstated after the not-guilty verdict. He apologized for bringing cricket into disrepute and said he had “learned lessons that will stay with me for much longer.”

In 2021, Stokes took a break from cricket to focus on his mental health but returned inside a year and was named as test captain in 2022, partnering with McCullum for what was later termed the “Bazball” era of aggressive, fearless cricket.

Brook, the captain of England's white-ball teams, also is the test vice-captain, so should be next in line to lead the side — starting with a series against Pakistan in August.

However, Brook has been involved in controversy himself after getting in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, New Zealand, before the recent Ashes tour. Brook was fined and given a final warning over his future conduct, but held on to his white-ball leadership roles.

Brook was overlooked as captain for the second test after Stokes was dropped, with Joe Root — the previous skipper — taking charge. Root is unlikely to want the role again, though.

There's also no obvious replacement for Stokes in the allrounder role, so his departure will leave a huge hole in the team.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's Ben Stokes, left, is bowled out by New Zealand's Zak Foulkes, during day three of the Third Test cricket match between England and New Zealand, in Nottingham, England, Saturday June 27, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Ben Stokes prepares for a nets session at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, ahead of the third cricket test match against New Zealand, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday June 24, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Ben Stokes, second left, celebrates with teammates the wicket of New Zealand's Mitchell Santner on day four of the Third Rothesay Test in Nottingham, England, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

England's Ben Stokes, left looks on with teammates on day four of the Third Test cricket match between England and New Zealand, in Nottingham, England, Sunday June 28, 2026. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — In a setback for Warner Bros.′ revamped DC movie operations, “Supergirl” was absolutely no match for “Toy Story 5” at the box office, opening a distant second to the Pixar blockbuster.

After a near-record debut for an animated movie, “Toy Story 5” remained No. 1 at the box office with $70 million in domestic ticket sales and another $89.1 million overseas, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Walt Disney Co. release has in two weeks quickly amassed $585 million globally, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.

“Supergirl,” however, failed to lift off. It opened with $38 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters. It added $30 million in overseas markets.

Craig Gillespie’s superhero spinoff is the second big-screen release from James Gunn and Peter Safran, who were tapped to lead DC Studios in late 2022. Their first release, 2025’s “Superman,” grossed $618 million worldwide, a strong-enough start for Gunn and Safran.

But “Supergirl” flopped with both critics and moviegoers. Reportedly trimmed significantly after test screenings, Gillespie’s film landed poor reviews (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a “B-” CinemaScore from audiences.

The poor opening weekend for “Supergirl” puts it behind the disappointing debuts of DC busts like “The Flash” ($55 million in 2023) and “The Green Lantern” ($53 million in 2011), and only barely ahead of “Joker: Folie à Deux” ($37.7 million in 2024).

David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe, noted superhero movies no longer drive the box office like they did pre-pandemic. There are fewer yearly releases, and the box office in the genre is down approximately $3.5 billion annually from its highs in 2017-2019.

After huge successes like “Wonder Woman” ($822 million in 2017) and “Captain Marvel” ($1.13 billion in 2019), female-fronted superhero movies have also taken a downturn.

“You’ll hear general explanations like ‘the audience lost interest.’ Yes, they did,” said Gross. “But no one has been able to explain why it happened so suddenly and so completely. Why female superheroes in particular, after their sensational starts? We don’t understand it either.”

The stumble for “Supergirl,” which cost $170 million to make, comes as Warner Bros. Discovery, the film studio’s parent company, is preparing to be acquired by Paramount Skydance. David Ellison, Paramount chief executive, recently met with Gunn and Safran.

The next DC release is “Clayface,” a body horror take on the DC character, to be released in October. Gunn’s “Superman” follow-up, “Man of Tomorrow,” is currently in production. It’s dated for July 2027.

Gunn, who serves as a producer on “Supergirl,” handed directing duties to Gillespie, the filmmaker of “I, Tonya” and “Cruella.” Milly Alcock, who briefly appeared in “Superman,” stars as Supergirl, or Lara Zor-El, a younger cousin to Superman who’s more of a party girl than a world saver.

Paramount Pictures’ “Jackass: Best and Last” was the weekend’s other new wide release. The latest stunt compilation from Johnny Knoxville and company opened with a modest $8.4 million from 2,855 North American theaters. While that’s a good result for a movie that cost just $10 million to make, the 2022 installment, “Jackass Forever,” debuted with $23 million before ultimately grossing $80 million worldwide.

Olivia Wilde’s dinner party comedy “The Invite” notched one of the best per-screen averages of the year. Opening on seven screens in New York and Los Angeles, it debuted with $379,104, good for a per-screen average of $54,158.

Wilde’s third film as director stars herself, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton as a pair of San Francisco couples who meet for an impromptu night together. A24 acquired the film after its buzzy Sundance Film Festival premiere. The indie distributor is hoping “The Invite,” which will expand next week and go nationwide on July 10, can revive the largely dormant summer comedy.

The micro-budget horror phenomenon “Obsession” continued to hold unusually strong. It took third place on the weekend with $9.8 million in its seventh weekend of release. Curry Barker’s film, made for less than $1 million, has now collected $233.9 million domestically for Focus Features, plus $108.9 million internationally.

Such legs, however, haven’t materialized for Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller “Disclosure Day.” In the Universal Pictures’ third weekend of release, it slipped to fifth place with $8.1 million in domestic theaters. Spielberg's UFO tale has grossed $193.7 million globally in three weeks.

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Toy Story 5,” $70 million.

2. “Supergirl,” $38 million.

3. “Obsession,” $9.8 million.

4. “Jackass: Best and Last,” $8.4 million.

5. “Disclosure Day,” $8.1 million.

6. “Backrooms,” $4.3 million.

7. “Scary Movie,” $3 million.

8. “Masters of the Universe,” $2.2 million.

9. “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity," $2 million.

10. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” $1.6 million.

Director Craig Gillespie, from left, Peter Safran, Milly Alcock, and James Gunn attend the DC Studios' world premiere of "Supergirl" at The Plaza at 300 Ashland on Monday, June 22, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)