They are focusing their hiring on F/O's right now since we are fat on captains and we are upgrading F/O's, but if the right candidate for DEC comes along, I'm sure he/she will be considered although the last couple of classes have been with F/O's only.
Relieve pilot or cruise captain time will not be considered as part of the PIC requirement time, only the time where you are actually signing the book as P1.
They historically have been very hardline about their minimums, we had a case of a Korean F/O that was hired and in class already when they discovered that he was shy of the minimum PIC time (I think it was 6 hours short or something ridiculous like that) this individual had lots of jet transport SIC time but since he didn't meet the published minimums, they sent him to California to get the hours he was missing in a Bonanza...! Now that box can be ticked so the space time continuum will not rupture, then he came back and continued his training.
Now haven said that, I always advise people that if you are interested apply and see what happens.