MLC 2023 | Team Analysis - Seattle Orcas

image-lk2jisctQuinton de Kock will be an important part of the Seattle Orcas (Source: Twitter)

Seattle Orcas, one of the most exciting and comparatively younger teams of Major League Cricket 2023. The Seattle Orcas is owned by the GMR Group and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The Seattle Orcas will represent the city of Redmond, Washington in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023.

The Seattle Orcas will start their journey against Washington Freedom on July 15th at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. Experienced South-African bowler, Wayne Parnell will lead the side. Whereas, former Indian cricketer, Pravin Amre will coach the side along with former New Zealand cricketer Ross Taylor as their batting coach and Johan Botha as the bowling coach.



The major strengths of Seattle Orcas are their all-rounders and power-hitters in the batting department. Dasun Shanka, Dwaine Pretorius and Imad Wasim have the ability to contribute equally with the bat and ball. On the other hand, players like Quinton De Kock, Shimron Hetmyer and Heinrich Klaasen will only strengthen their batting line-up and they can strike the ball very hard.

De Kock's Dominance: Unleashing Fury on Bowlers in T20 Leagues

image-lk2iqvc2QDK's Numbers against each bowler type since 2021

Quinton De Kock will be the player to watch out, looking at his performances in T20s in the last few years has been amazing. He has countered the fast bowlers very well, having an average of 46.1 against right-arm quicks and 43 against left-arm bowlers. Also had the strike-rate of 137.4 against right-arm bowlers, whereas it goes bit low against left-arm bowlers(122.9)

He has struggled against the bowl which spins away from him, against right-arm offbreak. Having a very low strike-rate of 114.5 and he has been dismissed 10 times and only scored 186 runs in 36 innings. Similarly, right-arm leg break bowlers got the better of him multiple times, dismissing him 7 times while scoring just 128 runs with an average of 27.7 but he has played aggressively against them with an terrific strike-rate of 151.6

At the top, the Seattle Orcas will be hoping on Quinton De Kock to provide them with a good and an attacking start, specifically in the first six overs of powerplay.

Looking at their bowling department, we can see plenty of uncovered holes. Apart from their captain, Wayne Parnell and Andrew Tye, there is not much experience and quality in their fast bowling unit. Therefore, their bowling department can expose their weakness in the tournament. A lot will depend on how their local players will contribute to the team.

Harmeet Singh is another exciting player for them. He was part of the India Under-19 cricket team that lifted the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He was exceptional with his left-arm spin but failed to prove his worth in the Indian domestic circuit. He moved to the USA and will be eyeing to perform well and to get a national call-up.



Conclusion

The Seattle Orcas are a very settled side, having a good combination of young and experienced players. Definitely a team with explosive batters and quality all-rounders. If they manage to sort out their bowling concerns, they can be the team to beat, in the inaugural season of MLC 2023. Overall, they should certainly finish in the top 4, otherwise it will be quite shocking, if they are unable to do so.