Kai Smith

Kai Smith
Personal information
Born	28 November 2004 (age 20); Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Batting	Right-handed
Role	Wicket-keeper
Domestic team information
2022–present	Warwickshire (squad no. 11)
List A debut	2 August 2022 Warwickshire v Gloucestershire
Career statistics
Matches	23
Runs scored	385
Batting average	35.00
100s/50s	1/0
Top score	130*
Catches/stumpings	8/–
	Source: ESPNcricinfo, 30 September 2024

Kai Smith (born 28 November 2004) is a professional cricketer who has played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club and the United Arab Emirates national under-19 cricket team. He is a right-handed wicket-keeper batsman.^[1]

Personal life

Smith was born and raised in Dubai to South African parents. He attended Nord Anglia International School Dubai before moving to boarding school in Kent to complete his A-levels.^[2]

Smith represented the UAE at the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa at the age of 15. He returned to the UAE squad for the 2022 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies. He scored 145 against Papua New Guinea in a warm-up match.^[3]

Smith played for the Rawalpindi Raiders in the 2022 Pakistan Junior League.^[1]

Smith was introduced to the Warwickshire County Cricket Club system by Dougie Brown, a former UAE coach. He was selected for the English Schools Cricket Association to play against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in September 2021.^[2] Smith made his List A debut for Warwickshire against Gloucestershire in the 2022 Royal London One-Day Cup in August 2022.^[1]

^ ^a ^b ^c "Kai Smith". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b Radley, Paul (26 August 2021). "UAE teen cricketer prepares for dream appearance at Lord's". The National. Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
^ Radley, Paul (13 January 2022). "Under 19 World Cup: Kai Smith wants UAE to 'rewrite the history books' in the Caribbean". The National. Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 7 January 2023.