MLC 2025: Heinrich Klaasen steps down as Seattle Orcas captain, franchise parts ways with coach Mott

The squad also announced that former South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen has stood down from captaincy and will concentrate completely on his duties as a batsman for the rest of the season. Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe’s all-rounder, has been named the team’s new captain. The Seatlle Orcas highlighted that these decisions were part of an effort to reset the team’s course for the remainder of the tournament.

The Seattle Orcas have announced significant leadership changes midway through the current Major League Cricket (MLC) season. Matthew Mott, the franchise’s head coach, has left following five consecutive losses. The team described the decision as the outcome of differing coaching and management tactics.

“The Seattle Orcas are taking a moment to ponder and refresh. This has been a difficult season for the team, which has necessitated some painful decisions. We thank Matthew for his dedication and professionalism throughout his time with us, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours’, Orcas CEO Hemant Dua said in a statement.

Mott took over as head coach of the Seattle Orcas prior to the current season, but a replacement has yet to be announced. Rishi Bhardwaj remains the assistant coach, while Ian Bell and Munaf Patel manage the batting and bowling departments, respectively.

On the pitch, the club has struggled to achieve consistency. They scored 145 for 9, 200 for 5, and 177 for 6 while batting first, but these totals were insufficient to earn victories. However, their chasing efforts have been far more problematic, as they were bowled out for only 60 and 144 in the two matches in which they batted second.

Heinrich Klaasen has had a dismal run of form, scoring only 55 runs in five innings at 144.73 strike rate.

Raza hasn’t fared much better with the bat, scoring 35 runs in three innings with a strike rate of 85.36. However, he was named captain unanimously by the management.

“We accept Heinrich’s choice to voluntarily step aside as captain to concentrate on his batting. This represents his character and team-oriented approach. After Klassen informed us of his decision, we unanimously chose Sikandar. “We believe these changes will pave the way for a strong second half of the season,” added Dua.

The team’s current troubles stem from a drop in form since their inaugural season. After topping the table and reaching the final of the inaugural MLC in 2023, where they finished second to MI New York, the team fell to last place in the 2024 edition. Wayne Parnell captained the side in 2023, with Klaasen taking over in 2024.

The GMR Group and JSW Sports co-own the franchise, as they do the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Their endeavours also include the SA20 league (Pretoria Capitals) and the UAE’s ILT20 (Dubai Capitals).

Several support staff members, like bowling coach Munaf and Venugopal Rao (General Manager of Cricket Operations), are part of the teams’ shared backroom system.