Seattle Orcas Thinking Big For Legacy-Defining Cricket Ground

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Harmeet Singh is Orcas’ left-arm spinner (Photo by Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for MLC)

Sportzpics / MLC

Boasting arguably the most inventive name – although there are other contenders in a field boasting the monikers of ‘Unicorns’ and ‘Freedom’ – along with such a vivid color scheme, Seattle Orcas are a Major League Cricket franchise that thinks outside the box.

After all, the smallest market in the well-heeled American T20 competition have a bold vision to eventually become ‘America’s team’ – and they are making strides with a growing number of fans calling themselves the ‘Pod Squad’.

So it’s little surprise that the franchise – which boasts ownership ties to Indian Premier League giant Delhi Capitals – are considering ambitious plans in regards to its proposed cricket ground.

The Orcas are moving closer to building in King County’s Marymoor Park, around 15 miles from Seattle.

There are still some bureaucratic hurdles to get through, but local authorities are supportive knowing that a cricket ground would be a boon for not only the area but the entire Pacific Northwest.

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But there are grander plans being contemplated. Inspired by the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, England, – home to Hampshire County Cricket Club, which has ownership ties to Orcas – a resort-type complex comprising a hotel an golf course is under consideration.

“We are thinking about what are the real estate development possibilities and potential and who might be interested in that?” Orcas co-owner Soma Somasegar told me in a phone interview.

“Sport stadiums around the country and the world are now becoming much more than just watching sport.”

Somasegar had originally hoped an Orcas stadium could be built well before the 2028 Los Angeles Games and possibly be part of cricket’s slate of Olympic games.

But with nothing built, and with Olympic officials wanting the event to be played entirely in Los Angeles, cricket’s Olympic return will be played in Pomona although – as I first reported – its stadium plans have been shrouded in uncertainty due to the USA Cricket crisis.

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While the timing wasn’t quite right for the Olympics, the Orcas stadium will likely be an appealing venue for international cricket and a gateway for the Pacific Northwest, a vast region home to a growing South Asian demographic that also includes world famous cities Portland and Vancouver.

As I reported recently, the West Indies – the only Full Member cricket nation in the Americas – are keen on expanding their footprint in the U.S. having regularly hosted white-ball series in nearby Florida.

“We would absolutely like to be attractive to the West Indies and other international teams,” Somasegar said. “The U.S. national team are also playing more and more so it would be good to host them.

“And when the U.S. next hosts the Olympics after L.A. then we would be in position to host cricket games by then.”

It was a tumultuous season for Orcas, runners-up in the inaugural season in 2023 but missing the playoffs for the second straight season. They went through major leadership changes midway through the season after the firing of Australian coach Matthew Mott, while South African Heinrich Klaasen stepped down as captain.

“I think he (Mott) wasn’t able to figure out how to build a cohesive relationship in the group in a very short amount of time, which is what we’re working with in the MLC where players are only together briefly,” Somasegar said.

“After he went back to Australia, we had a good conversation and the relationship is still there. But we’re excited about launching a new era for the Orcas.”

The Orcas will soon start a process to find their next head coach, which should be an attractive proposition with MLC boasting numerous high-profile coaches including Australian legend Ricky Ponting who is at the helm of Washington Freedom.

“The big learning for us is that we’re assembling a team that is coming together for a month,” Somasegar said. “We don’t have the luxury of more time like other sports leagues.

“We need to find someone able to understand the roles and responsibilities of each player and each member of the staff from the get go.”

As they wait for the game-changing stadium development, the Orcas after three seasons are slowly building a visible brand in the northwest seaport city and beyond.

“We feel really good about how we’ve built the franchise – the name and the colors and design,” said Somasegar, a venture capitalist at Madrona Venture Group having spent 27 years working at Microsoft.

“We’re making this family-friendly and we’re doing a bunch of things in the community to keep building the brand.

“We’re going from strength to strength and we’re so excited about the future.”