Yasim Murtaza overcame a career-ending injury to become Hong Kong’s top T20 all-rounder and later their national team captain in 2025.
Yasim Murtaza’s story in cricket is far from typical. Born on December 4, 1990, in Sialkot, Pakistan, he spent a decade competing in Pakistan’s rigorous domestic scene, representing teams such as Rawalpindi and the United Bank Limited. A left-handed batsman and slow left-arm spinner, his career faced an unexpected halt in 2016 when a fire at Karachi’s Regent Plaza forced him to leap from a second-floor window to escape. Though he survived, the fall fractured his heel and abruptly concluded his playing days in Pakistan, marking a significant turning point in his life. After a full recovery, he chose to relocate to Hong Kong in 2017, not with ambitions of playing cricket, but to start afresh. For five years, he lived quietly, fulfilling residency requirements while nurturing his passion for the sport away from the public eye. By 2022, defying all expectations, he made his international debut for Hong Kong at the age of 31. Murtaza rapidly established himself as one of Hong Kong’s most consistent performers in T20 cricket, excelling both with bat and ball. He stood out as the top all-rounder during the 2022 Asia Cup qualifiers and has since claimed over 50 international wickets, including deliveries he once believed he would never bowl again. Yasim was born in the cricket-rich city of Sialkot, Pakistan, in 1990. His early years were spent playing domestic cricket across Pakistan, turning out for teams such as the Rawalpindi Rams and United Bank Limited. However, fate redirected his path, leading him to Hong Kong, where he found a new beginning and an opportunity to represent a national team at the international level. A left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox spinner, he made his T20 International debut for Hong Kong in July 2022 against Uganda and quickly became a reliable figure in their squad. No verified source confirms Yasim Murtaza’s religious beliefs, though his name may suggest a Muslim background. He has shared little about his faith, as it remains a deeply personal matter. Despite his international success with Hong Kong, Yasim Murtaza has chosen to keep his personal and family life strictly private. There is no publicly available information regarding his parents, siblings, or marital status. Details about his father are not accessible to the public, with no dependable sources providing insights into his life. Information about Yasim’s brother is not available from any reliable source. Yasim has not disclosed any details about his family, and there is no authentic information confirming whether he has sisters or other relatives. On the platform X (formerly Twitter), Yasim Murtaza does not have an official account. His primary means of connecting with fans is through Instagram. While there is an account bearing his name, it has only 3 followers and no posts, which suggests it may be inauthentic. This article will be updated as soon as he launches an official X account. In international T20 matches, Yasim Murtaza wears the number 12 jersey. It is also reported that he has worn the same number in other cricket leagues. Publicly available details about Yasim Murtaza’s romantic relationships are scarce. He appears to live a private life off the field, with no confirmed reports of being in a relationship. However, it is widely assumed he is married after he posted multiple photos on Instagram alongside his two sons. Very little is known about Yasim Murtaza’s wife. Though he frequently shares pictures featuring his two sons on Instagram, he has chosen to keep his personal life largely out of the public domain. Yasim Murtaza’s career began in Pakistan’s domestic circuit with Rawalpindi. In 2007, as a teenager, he debuted in first-class cricket during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and went on to feature in over 70 first-class matches. Yet, it was his move to Hong Kong that reignited his international career and gave him a fresh purpose. Following several strong seasons in Pakistan’s domestic setup, Yasim switched national allegiances and made his T20 International debut for Hong Kong on July 11, 2022, against Uganda in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifiers. He played a key role during the 2022 Asia Cup Qualifiers and successfully transitioned from Pakistan’s competitive domestic structure to the niche realm of Associate cricket with Hong Kong. Since his T20I debut in 2022, Yasim has taken 70 wickets across 63 matches. His economy rate of 6.33 is particularly impressive. His best bowling figures stand at 4 for 9, with a bowling average of 18.9 and a strike rate of 17.9. With the bat, he has amassed 746 runs from 52 innings, averaging 16.9 at a strike rate of 116.6. He has registered two half-centuries, including 55 fours and 30 sixes in T20I cricket. In First-Class cricket, he has played 74 matches and claimed 123 wickets, with best match figures of 8 for 231. His bowling average in this format is 30.56, with an economy rate slightly above 3 runs per over. He has achieved five five-wicket hauls and three four-wicket innings. With the bat, he has scored 2914 runs from 118 innings, including one century and 17 fifties. In List A cricket, across 78 matches, he has taken 102 wickets with a best performance of 5 for 13. His bowling average is just under 29, and he maintains a tight economy rate of 4.70. With the bat, he has scored over 1500 runs at an average of 28.37, highlighted by an unbeaten 107. He has also hit 10 half-centuries, struck 117 fours, and smashed 44 sixes. In T20 cricket, he has claimed 87 wickets while keeping his economy under 7. His bowling average is 23.08 with a strike rate of 20.4. With the bat, he has accumulated 1082 runs and three fifties. In 2022, he was honored as the Men’s Cricketer of the Year at the Cricket Hong Kong Awards. That same year, he also received the Best Bowling Figures of the Year award. During the 2022–2023 Hong Kong All Stars T20 Series, Yasim was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. One of his standout performances came in 2023 during the Cricket World Cup Challenge League, where he took 4 wickets for just 17 runs against Kenya, earning the Player of the Match title. In 2025, Yasim took on a leadership role as he was appointed captain of the Hong Kong national team following Nizakat Khan’s departure. As of 2026, Yasim Murtaza is 34 years old. He was born on December 4, 1990. Very few details are available about Yasim Murtaza’s wife. However, he has shared photos of his two sons on his Instagram profile. What is Yasim Murtaza’s net worth and salary? His net worth and salary figures are not publicly available due to the limited information regarding his earnings. What are Yasim Murtaza’s career achievements? In 2022, Yasim was named Men’s Cricketer of the Year at the Cricket Hong Kong Awards and also received the Best Bowling Figures of the Year award. In 2025, he was named captain of the Hong Kong national team. All images included are for editorial use only. Licensing is solely managed through Getty/Source.