Major League Cricket Team Guide: Believe in the Unicorns

• Top four in league go to play-offs

• Teams play each other once

• Five domestic players must be picked

• Matches held in Texas & Morrisville

MI New York: 16/54.20

Squad: Jason Behrendorff (Australia), Steven Taylor (USA), Hammad Azam (USA), Ehsan Adil (USA), Nosthush Kenjige (USA), Monank Patel (USA), Sarbjeet Ladda (USA), Shayan Jahangir (USA), Kyle Phillip (USA), Saideep Ganesh (USA), Kieron Pollard (Trinidad), Trent Boult (New Zealand), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Tim David (Australia), Dewald Brevis (South Africa), David Wiese (Namibia), Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies).

Possible XI: Taylor, Brevis, Pooran, Pollard, David, Rashid, Hammad, Rabada, Phillip, Ehsan, Kenjige

Analysis: USA opener Steven Taylor, who can also keep wicket, is an important pick-up given that he tops the USA run charts in the last five years. Former Pakistan internationals Hammad Azam, an all-rounder, and Ehsan Adil, a pacer, are considered local players. Slow left-armer Nosthush Kenjige completes the possible domestic five. Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada can rotate.

Prospects: The favourites but the MI franchise is yet to convince around the world. They may be too reliant on domestic bowlers.

Washington Freedom: 7/24.50

Squad: Josh Philippe (Australia), Andries Gous (USA), Mukhtar Ahmed (USA), Obus Pienaar (USA), Saurabh Netravalkar (USA), Saad Ali (USA), Dane Piedt (USA), Sujith Gowda (USA), Justin Dill (USA), Akhilesh Bodugum (USA), Ben Dwarshuis (Australia), Anrich Nortje (South Africa), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Marco Jansen (SA), Glenn Phillips (NZ), Adam Milne (New Zealand), Moises Henriques (Australia), Akeal Hosein (West Indies)

Possible XI: Philippe, Gous, Phillips, Gowda, Henriques, Jansen, Hasaranga, Piedt, Dill, Nortje, Bodugum

Analysis: Saurabh Netravalkar is a lock for Freedom. He's the second-highest wicket-taker for USA in the last five years with his left-arm pace. Saad Ali is a former Quetta player who played two ODI for Pakistan but didn't cut it. He's a bit of a slouch in the middle order. They rely on three South Africans with residency; Dane Piedt, the former South Africa spinner, is a well-known performer, Justin Dill, a bowling all-rounder of Western province origin and wicketkeeper-hitter Andries Goul. Spinner Akhilesh Bodugum, a rare USA-born player, has a big step up from Minor League.

Prospects: Their 'cheat code' South Africans make them competitive. They may be a batter short.

Texas Super Kings: 7/24.50

Squad: Calvin Savage (USA), Lahiru Milantha (USA), Milind Kumar (USA), Sami Aslam (USA), Cameron Stevenson (USA), Cody Chetty (USA), Zia Shahzad (USA), Saiteja Mukkamalla (USA), Devon Conway (New Zealand), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Daniel Sams (Australia), David Miller (South Africa), Gerald Coetzee (South Africa), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Rusty Theron (USA), Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Possible XI: Du Plessis, Conway, Milantha, Chetty, Miller, Sams, Santner, Bravo, Kumar, Theron, Coetzee

Analysis: South Africans Cody Chetty, Calvin Savage and Rusty Theron are again like cheat codes in this league, taking up three 'domestic' spots. Then it's three names for two sports from Sri Lankan batter Lahiru Milantha, who has 12 first-class tons, opener Sami Aslam who played 13 tests and four ODI for Pakistan, and former IPL all-rounder Milind Kumar USA right-arm pacer Cameron Stevenson probably misses out on the XI.

Prospects: Another team which may be batting light. Hugely reliant on fast starts.

Los Angeles Knight Riders: 4/15.00

Squad: Nitish Kumar (USA), Corne Dry (USA), Ali Sheikh (USA), Saif Badar (USA), Shadley Van Schalkwyk (USA), Bhaskar Yadram (USA), Andre Russell (West Indies), Sunil Narine (West Indies), Jason Roy (England), Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand), Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Adam Zampa (Australia), Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Ali Khan (USA), Unmukt Chand (USA), Jaskaran Malhotra (USA).

Possible XI: Roy, Guptill, Rossouw, Chand, Kumar, Russell, Narine, Ferguson, Khan, Dry, Zampa

Analysis: Unmukt Chand is the high-profile pick-up. He captained India to under-19 World Cup glory in 2012. He has a poor record, though, and could bat at No 3. Canada veteran Nitish Kumar could also bat there. Corne Dry slots in as a right-armer from South Africa. Ali Khan is well known to bettors from his CPL stints. This doesn't look a well-balanced squad.

Prospects: A well-balanced squad. Andre Russell could reprise a death-bowling role. Business-end likely.

Seattle Orcas: 11/26.50

Cameron Gannon (USA), Aaron Jones (USA), Nauman Anwar (USA), Phani Simhadri (USA), Angelo Perera (USA), Matthew Tromp (USA), Quinton de Kock (South Africa), Wayne Parnell (South Africa), Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Harmeet Singh (USA), Shehan Jayasuriya (USA), Shubham Ranjane (USA), Mitch Marsh (Australia), Heinrich Klassen (South Africa), Izharulhaq Naveed (Afghanistan), Andrew Tye (Aus)

Possible XI: De Kock, Nauman, Jones, Klassen, Raza, Shehan, Perera, Parnell, Harmeet, Naveed, Tye

Analysis: One-T201 'wonder' for Pakistan Nauman Ali is likely to open with Quinton De Kock. Aaron Jones, the USA international just behind Taylor on those run charts mentioned, is a solid signing. He could bat as high as No 3 to reprise his Yank role. Shehan Jayausuriya, a Minor Leaguer who batted at No 3 twice for Sri Lanka in T20, could cause a logjam in the middle-order. He must bat lower than Heinrich Klaasen and Sikandar Raza. Angelo Perera, another Sri Lanka with residency, surely will. Spinner Harmeet Singh, one of India under-19s, is a lock.

Prospects: This lot must get their batting order right. Death bowling looks strong but spin quality is low.

San Francisco Unicorns: 11/26.50

Squad: Aaron Finch (Australia), Marcus Stoinis (Australia), Matthew Wade (Australia), Qais Ahmed (Afghanistan), Finn Allen (New Zealand), Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Lungi Ndigi (South Africa), Mackenzie Harvey (Australia), Corey Anderson (USA), Tajinder Singh, Chaitanya Bishnoi (USA), Carmi Le Roux (USA), Brody Couch (USA), David White (USA), Smit Patel (USA), Liam Plunkett (USA) Sanjay Krishnamurti (USA)

Possible XI: Finch, Allen, Stoinis, Shadab, Anderson, Wade, Plunkett, Le Roux, Qais, Couch, Krishnamurti

Analysis: The Unicorns have pinched probably top-grade US picks in Corey Anderson from New Zealand, World Cup winner Liam Plunkett and Aussie pace star Brody Couch. Carmi le Roux, a left-arm quick, could also be included in that list. Spinner Sanjay Krishnamurti completes the 'home' picks.

Prospects: Yes Plunkett is too high at No 7 but that line-up would compete in T20i. They are clearly the outstanding value being rated as rags.

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