Zimbabwe upbeat about World Cup chances

A win over Sri Lanka on Saturday will put Zimbabwe in the Super Sixes probably along with South Africa and England, the other group A teams.

8220;We know to qualify for the next round we must win a minimum of three matches,8221; skipper Alistair Campbell said Friday during a practice session. 8220;This is going to be a big game for us.

Because Sri Lanka has lost both matches 8220;we could face the backlash of it all. If we are not careful they could pull the carpet from under our feet,8221; Campbell said.

Zimbabwe, 80-1 outsiders before the start of the tournament with just three wins from 25 World Cup matches, will draw strength from its back-to-back wins against Sri Lanka in Sharjah last year.

8220;It just goes to show the strength of the individuals in the team. What we are showing now is all the hard work we8217;ve put together over the years. For some of them, this could be the last chance,8221; Campbell said.

8220;The other sides have played enough against us to know we can play decent cricket. They won8217;t be underestimating us.8221;

For Sri Lanka, it would be the moment of truth.

It has failed to play as defending champions and a defeat against Zimbabwe will almost certainly spell its end in the tournament. Sri Lanka8217;s recent form 8212; four victories out the last 20 games 8212; suggests the team is well past the expiry date.

Although the bowling has been encouraging, the pinch-hitting it so successfully used to re-invent one-day cricket has been the undoing of a team full of stroke makers.

8220;If we change our style, we8217;ll be boring,8221; skipper Arjuna Ranatunga said after a defeat at the hands of South Africa.

8220;But one thing is for sure, we have to show discipline at the top of the order,8221; he said.

Sri lanka is expected to reshuffle its batting order again, promoting Roshan Mahanama to open the batting with Sanath Jayasuriya and bat Mahela Jayawardene at No. 3 instead of an out of form Marvan Atapattu.

8220;We are considering a few options,8221; said DS de Silva, the manager, who will take over as coach after the World Cup. The former Sri Lankan leg spinner will replace Roy Dias.

8220;We got our combination wrong against South Africa. We were a seamer short and it made all the difference at the end,8221; he said.

With the New Road pitch expected to offer early assistance to the seamers, Sri Lanka is considering replacing leg-spinner Upul Chandana with Eric Upashantha, who bowled first change to Chaminda Vaas and Pramodya Wickremasinghe.