RAWALPINDI, Oct 8: Zimbabwe are hoping to break the ice by ending a run of 12 straight defeats when they face off Sri Lanka in the tri-series competition at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

"I think that the few games we have lost, there have been bits and pieces of some good cricket and there were times when we got really close, it is time now to start winning games," Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu said on Friday following a practice session.

The inexperienced Zimbabweans lost their first two matches of the tournament to Pakistan at Multan and Peshawar and now need to beat the strong Sri Lankans to stay in the hunt.

Zimbabwe have been in trouble after a rebellion by 15 white players including their captain Heath Streak and the suspension of their Test status. "We do miss the likes of Streak and (Andy) Blignaut, they are really good players but I have got to concentrate on the team that I have got at the moment, that's where all my concentration is," said Taibu, who is just one run short of completing 1000 runs in one-day Internationals.

Zimbabwe, who last met Sri Lanka at the recent ICC Trophy in England where they lost by four wickets, are seeking inspiration from that match in which Elton Chigumbura hit a half century and took three wickets.

"The boys performed really well in certain areas where we had been struggling before; so I am just hoping that we take a lot from that game and put into the match tomorrow," stressed Taibu.

Sri Lankan vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene felt that Zimbabwe had now got used to playing against them. "They have improved a lot and in ICC Trophy they played really well against us, so we have to be very positive, do the basics right and play well," said Jayawardene.

Following their eight-wicket defeat against Pakistan in Karachi on Wednesday, the Sri Lankans are now keen to go into the match hoping to rectify the mistakes they made in their opening match.

"I think we didn't play that well, we made a lot of mistakes and we discussed those and we want to rectify them," said Jayawardene who scored 18 runs in that game.

"It is good to play a game soon as you lose a match, hopefully we can put everything right and win tomorrow," he added. Jayawardene said that his team's middle order slump in England recently and in Karachi was not a concern.

"Not really, the middle order has been getting runs, it is just a couple of games we have missed out." He was hopeful that since the middle order comprised experienced players like him, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan, they would come back strongly and get the big runs that the team wanted.

Dismissing the notion that Sri Lanka took their Zimbabwe rivals lightly in the past, Jayawardene said that it was not their policy. "We go in with an attitude where we want to win every game, it does not matter who the opponent is."

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe have a plan to restrict the strong Sri Lankans on a wicket that has traditionally favoured the batsmen. When we get here tomorrow, we will see which way to go, which plan to use, coach Phil Simmons said.

While the Sri Lankans have regrouped after their defeat on Wednesday, the morale in the Zimbabwe camp was also high. "It has always been like that and I am sure the boys will keep it up; we are looking at every game as an important one," Taibu said.

SRI LANKA (FROM): Marvan Atapattu (captain), Mahela Jayawardene (vice captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Saman Jayantha, Avishka Gunawardene, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Upal Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Thilina Kandamby, Rangana Herath, Kaushal Lokuarachchi.