Hussain Talat

Mohammad Hussain Talat (Punjabi and Urdu: حسین طلعت; born 12 February 1996) is a Pakistani cricketer. He made his international debut for the Pakistan cricket team in April 2018. Domestically, he plays for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Hussain Talat

Personal information
Full name	Mohammad Hussain Talat
Born	(1996-02-12) 12 February 1996 (age 29) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium-fast
Role	Batting all-rounder
International information
National side	Pakistan
ODI debut (cap 219)	22 January 2019 v South Africa
Last ODI	8 August 2025 v West Indies
T20I debut (cap 77)	1 April 2018 v West Indies
Last T20I	14 February 2021 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2012–2013	Zarai Taraqiati Bank
2013/14–2018/19	Sui Northern Gas
2014/15–2018/19	Lahore
2016/17	Federally Administered Tribal Areas
2017–2021	Islamabad United (squad no. 12)
2017–2018	Federal Areas
2018	Cape Town Blitz
2018/19	Punjab
2019/20	Balochistan
2020/21	Southern Punjab (squad no. 90)
2021/22	Central Punjab
2022; 2024: 2025-present	Peshawar Zalmi (squad no. 23; formerly 8)
2022/23	Balochistan
2023	Lahore Qalandars
2024	Karnali Yaks
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I FC LA Matches 2 18 58 81 Runs scored 43 394 3,073 2,271 Batting average 19.00 24.62 37.93 39.15 100s/50s 0/0 0/2 5/17 6/12 Top score 41* 63 253 141* Balls bowled 12 36 2,761 1,276 Wickets 0 4 48 31 Bowling average – 13.50 38.31 41.90 5 wickets in innings – 0 0 0 10 wickets in match – 0 0 0 Best bowling – 2/12 3/24 4/54 Catches/stumpings 0/– 5/– 30/– 24/–
Medal record Men's cricket Representing  Pakistan Asia Cup Runner-up 2025 UAE
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 20 January 2023

Early life

Raised in Shahdara, Lahore, Hussain Talat came from a cricket-oriented family that ran a local sports shop, Ravi Cricket Club. Informal street cricket provided the first exposure, with nearby success stories, most notably allrounder Abdul Razzaq, a former neighbour, serving as inspiration. At 15, he managed the family’s second outlet, New Lion Sports, located near the Abdul Razzaq Stadium, while training at Minto Park with Victorious Cricket Club. After leaving regular schooling in the seventh standard, Talat enrolled at Muslim Model School, which allowed sitting final exams while prioritising cricket practice. Daily routines typically involved morning and late-afternoon sessions separated by shop duties extending into the evening. Talat has described modest beginnings in a lower-middle-class setting, including seasonal sales of bangles, firecrackers and kite thread during Eid to supplement income.^[1]

Domestic and franchise career

Talat made his first-class debut with Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited during the 2012-2013 season, and in July 2013 a winnnig batting partnership with the then 18 years old Babar Azam was noted, when he was himself 17 years old.^[2]

In 2017, he made his PSL debut again Quetta Gladiators in which he scored a valuable fifty for his team and helped Islamabad United to win the game by 1 run.^[3] In April 2018, he was named in Federal Areas' squad for the 2018 Pakistan Cup.^[4][5] He was named the man of the match in the final of the tournament.^[6] On 3 June 2018, he was selected to play for the Toronto Nationals in the players' draft for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada tournament.^[7][8]

In September 2019, he was named in Balochistan's squad for the 2019–20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament.^[9][10] In August 2020, he was named in Southern Punjab's squad for the 2020–21 domestic season.^[11] In October 2020, in the 2020–21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Talat scored his maiden double century (253) in first-class cricket.^[12]

In 2021, he joined Rawalakot Hawks in the first edition of the Kashmir Premier League. He was the player of the tournament in the 2021 Kashmir Premier League for his all-round performance (227 runs and 4 wickets).

During PSL 2025, he was central to Peshawar Zalmi’s seven-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars, contributing in both disciplines. With the ball, Talat removed Sikandar Raza in the final over to end Lahore’s recovery. With the bat, Talat then anchored the chase from 7–2, scoring an unbeaten 51 off 37 balls and closing the match, and his fifty, with consecutive fours. Talat shared an unbroken 93-run fourth-wicket stand with Babar Azam (56* off 42) to seal the pursuit of 130 inside 17 overs.^[13]

International career

In March 2018, he was named in Pakistan's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against the West Indies.^[14][15] He made his T20I debut for Pakistan against the West Indies on 1 April 2018 where he was named the man of the match.^[16]

In August 2018, he was one of thirty-three players to be awarded a central contract for the 2018–19 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).^[17][18] In December 2018, he was named in Pakistan's team for the 2018 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.^[19] The following month, he was named in Pakistan's One Day International (ODI) squad for their series against South Africa.^[20] He made his ODI debut for Pakistan against South Africa on 22 January 2019.^[21] In November 2020, he was named in Pakistan's 35-man squad for their tour to New Zealand.^[22]

In August 2025, during the first ODI of the Pakistan tour of the West Indies, his partnership with Hassan Nawaz was instrumental in Pakistan's win after a collapse of the middle-order while chasing 280, Talat hitting 41 in 37 balls and Pakistan winning by 5 wickets with only 7 balls remaining.^[23]

In September 2025, during the Asia Cup, after Pakistan’s five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, Talat argued that middle-order batting is the hardest job in T20s. He underlined the point with an all-round display: 32 (30)* in a nervy chase of 133 and 2/18 in 3 overs earlier in the innings, eventually named the Player of the Match. He also suggested that only a handful of players can truly master the role.^[24]

Playing style

Talat is a batting all-rounder, being primarily a left-handed batsman who bowls medium-fast. His batting has been described as defined less by volume than by elegance, an analyst arguing that his wide stroke range reflects innate talent more than drilled adjustments.^[25]

In an interview, Talat told that his batting development was shaped by high-scoring matches on Lahore's cement tracks, small grounds and a local culture of aggressive play. That environment encouraged power-hitting over defensive accumulation, gradually shifting Talat’s approach from conservatism toward expansive strokeplay and "big-hitting" fundamentals.^[1]