Full name Mohammad Talha
Born 15 October 1988 (age 22)
Faislabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Role Bowler
International information
National side Pakistan
Only Test 1 March 2009 v Sri Lanka
Domestic team information
Years Team
2007/08– Faisalabad
2008/09– Punjab
2008/09– National Bank of Pakistan
Career statistics
Competition FC LA
Matches 29 24
Runs scored 216 56
Batting average 10.28 5.60
100s/50s 0/0 0/0
Top score 30 21
Balls bowled 5,174 1,196
Wickets 115 35
Bowling average 28.13 33.88
5 wickets in innings 8 0
10 wickets in match 1 n/a
Best bowling 6/59 4/37
Catches/stumpings 5/– 2/–
( born October 15, 1988) is a Pakistani tall and slim right-arm fast-medium bowler. He has gained an increasing reputation on the Pakistani domestic set-up for quick bowling eventually leading to a call up to the international squad for the February 2009 test series against Sri Lanka
Relatively inexperienced at this stage but was first noticed in 2005 Afro-Asia Cup playing for the Pakistan U-19's, able to extract bounce and sharp burst of speed. However injuries limited his performance in the coming year. His performance in the 2008-09 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy gained him recognition, playing for National Bank of Pakistan alongside fellow young pace prospect Mohammad Aamer he gained his first 10 wicket haul against Pakistan Customs side, taking 10 for 119 in match. Half way through the season he had 34 wickets in just 6 games.
In the past few years he has worked extensively with Aaqib Javaid at the National Cricket Academy based in Karachi, where he slightly re-modified his action to avoid persistent injuries. Aaqib said of Talha that he believed him to be close to national team selection and that he was the fastest bowler in Pakistan after Shoaib Akhtar.
In a recent interview Talha commented on his desire to known as a genuine fast bowler and to represent Pakistan at the highest level.
I want to be a 145kp/h+ bowler. I dont want to get slower, I just want to get faster and faster
—Mohammad Talha
In the home test series against Sri Lanka in 2009, he was chosen in the 15 man squad for both the first and second test. For the first test he was overlooked for pacemen Sohail Khan and all-rounder Yasir Arafat.
Mohammad Talha grew-up in Faisalabad where he began playing tape ball cricket, encouraged by his elder brother. In 2003 he went for the Under 16's trial in the Faisalabad region and got selected but admits to not having the stamina at the time for longer version of the game. He has stated that like many young Pakistani bowlers of the current era Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were his cricketing idols whilst growing up and also added that Brett Lee too someone he try to learn from.
