Kai Wall: From Barron River to International Cricket
At just 16 years old, Mossman’s own Kai Wall is already making waves on the international cricket scene.
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At just 16 years old, Mossman’s own Kai Wall is already making waves on the international cricket scene.
As a left-arm swing bowler with a passion for the game and a relentless drive, Kai is quickly establishing himself as one of the Far North’s brightest cricketing talents.
His recent inclusion in the Japan Under-19 cricket team, which competed in the Under-19 Asia Cup in November 2024, is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting journey in the sport.
Now, with a tour of Singapore and the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup East Asia-Pacific qualifiers in Sano, Japan on the horizon, Kai has set his sights on even greater achievements.
Born in Cairns and raised in Mossman, Kai was introduced to cricket through the Vikionkorpi family.
Before becoming a prominent paceman for the Atherton Cricket Club, Ben Vikionkorpi served as the club co-ordinator for the Douglas Cricket Association, running the Milo cricket program at Mossman State High School.
His two sons, Angus and Finn Vikionkorpi, encouraged Kai and his younger brother Miki Wall along to the clinic, unlocking a passion.
He began club cricket with the Port Douglas Muddies.
His desire to challenge himself in the Jimmy Maher Cup under-18 and gain experience in senior cricket led him to make the move to Barron River.
There, he now packs his weekend out playing both second and third-grade senior cricket.
His exceptional talent on the field has not gone unnoticed.
Former state cricketer and Cricket Australia high-performance coach Trent Keep put the wheels in motion for Kai to take the next big step.
“It can be a small cricketing world,” Keep said.
“Mutual connections, I know someone who knows someone in Japanese cricket. I spoke to the family about their heritage and just went from there.”
“It’s credit to Kai, he’s displayed the attributes, skill-wise. But more importantly as a young man. I knew he would go into an environment of international cricket and be a sponge and take all the information he could.”
“What I like about Kai is that he’s extremely coachable, he’s willing to learn and try different things in different scenarios and he’s just a top quality person. He’ll figure out what works best for him, but I believe he has a very high ceiling.”
Wall arrived in Dubai in November for the 2024 Asia Cup, jumping straight into a three-day training camp before attending a session at the ICC Academy.
“It was just lanes of turf nets and two pristine fields,” Wall said.
“I’ve never trained on proper turf nets before. Training next to Pakistan and watching them play was an experience in itself.”
He would then take on cricketing powerhouses India, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates in an intense group with the opportunity to bowl at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“We definitely had a tough pool,” Wall said.
“Coming up against India and Pakistan in particular, it was great to see what other kids our age are doing, their standard of cricket and those guys will probably be playing for their country one day. A few have already been drafted into the Indian Premier League (IPL).”
Wall came up against Vaibhav Suryavanshi – the 13-year old who made international headlines after becoming the youngest cricketer in history to be selected into the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals.
The moment of the tour was the 16-year old claiming his first international wicket in the third and final match against Pakistan.
“I started it in the middle and I got a bit of inswing. I just strangled him down the leg side and he nicked it off to the keeper.”
The Barron River bowler said the coaches found the balance of making sure the young team didn’t compete the whole time, providing the opportunity to experience Dubai.
Kai’s journey is far from over.
Looking ahead to the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup East Asia-Pacific qualifiers in April 2025, which will take place on Japan’s home soil at the Sano International Cricket Ground, Kai is focused on continuing his growth as a cricketer.
The tournament, which features Japan, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea, will see the winner earn a spot in the World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2026.
Wall said his cricket club has been vital to his development.
“Jordan Fulton, our first-grade pace bowler, has been a big help,” Wall said.
“He gets me to come down early to training, working with the bowling machine and refining my technique.
“Alexander Croft – the second-grade captain – has also played a big role in helping me develop as a bowler. The support from my teammates, like Max Holt and Samson Pittorino, who I’ve played with for the past two years, has also been (invaluable).”
As a left-arm bowler, he admires some of the greats of the game, including Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Spencer Johnson.
“I’ve always loved watching left-arm bowlers,” he said.
“Mitchell Johnson was my favourite growing up, and I admire Starc and Spencer Johnson too.”
Wall will be one of the rising cricket stars to watch in the coming years.
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