The biggest cricket match of the Men’s T20 World Cup almost didn’t happen. Pakistan said it would not play India, sending shockwaves through the sport and triggering urgent talks between officials and governments. After days of tense negotiations, the standoff ended and the rivals are set to meet on Sunday. What changed, and what will it mean when they take the field?

In this episode: 
Hafsa Adil (@hafsa_adil), Sports Journalist at Al Jazeera

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili, with Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Chloe K. Li, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhemm. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

The biggest cricket match of the Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup almost didn&rsquo;t happen. Pakistan said it would not play India, sending shockwaves through the sport and triggering urgent talks between officials and governments. After days of tense negotiations, the standoff ended and the rivals are set to meet on Sunday. What changed, and what will it mean when they take the field?
In this episode:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Hafsa Adil (<a href="https://x.com/hafsa_adil?lang=en">@hafsa_adil</a>), Sports Journalist at Al Jazeera</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Sar&iacute; el-Khalili, with Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Chloe K. Li, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker.&nbsp;
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhemm. Alexandra Locke is The Take&rsquo;s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera&rsquo;s head of audio.&nbsp;
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">X</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.

With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.