Orcas part ways with head coach Matthew Mott mid-season; Klaasen steps down

A struggling Seattle Orcas have parted ways with head coach Matthew Mott mid-way through the 2025 season of Major League Cricket (MLC), where the team currently occupy the bottom spot and have zero wins in five games. An official statement on the MLC website said that they decided to make this move 'citing differences in coaching and management strategies.'

Captain Heinrich Klaasen too has stepped down from his position to concentrate on his batting. Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza takes over as skipper.

"This is a moment of reflection and renewal for the Seattle Orcas," said Hemant Dua, CEO of the team. "This has been a tough run for the team, and with it, some difficult decisions had to be made. We are grateful to Matthew for his commitment and professionalism during his time with us, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

"We respect Heinrich's decision to step down voluntarily as captain to focus on his batting. This reflects his character and team-first mindset. Sikandar was our unanimous choice once we heard from Klassen about his decision. We believe these changes set the stage for a strong second half of the season."

After topping the table and reaching the final in 2023, Orcas suffered a bottom-placed finish in 2024. They are stuck in a similar spot this season but still have time and games to revive what has been an abysmal season so far.