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BBC Sport Online's Matthew Allen asks Sri Lankan coach Dav Whatmore the secrets behind his team's recent success.

While all eyes have been glued on world champions Australia and their nearest rivals, South Africa, a relative cricketing minnow has swum up on the blind side to snatch third spot in the Test rankings.

Sri Lanka successfully took on all-comers to win six Tests in a row and record their biggest victory margin at the end of 2001.

A home series wins against India was followed by the demolition of the West Indies and then an innings and 166 run defeat of Zimbabwe in Colombo last week.

The achievement is made all the more extraordinary considering the confusing and volatile politics being played out by country's cricket administrators last year Coach Dav Whatmore believes that his team's rise is down to a combination of key players maturing at the right time and success-breeding-success.

Fast bowler Chaminda Vaas recorded his best figures of 7-71 against the West Indies last month, taking 14 wickets in the match, and wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara has established himself at number three.

"Some players, such as Vaas and Sangakkara, have shown more willingness to turn the corner at long last," said Whatmore.

"That willingness has been driven by the first sweet taste of success. Once you get that taste you want more of it and it drives you on.

"There are no surprises in the spin bowling department with Muttiah Muralitharan around but our fast bowling and middle-order battting have been a revelation.

"When several batsman consistently make big scores then we can overhaul and set big targets to give ourselves a good chance of winning.

"At the moment our cricket is like a snowball that gets bigger as it rolls down the mountain."

But Whatmore acknowledges that the acid test of Sri Lanka's ability lies in their performances abroad.

Their recent success has come at home on slow, spin-friendly pitches, but they have traditionally struggled against fast, bouncy wickets abroad.

The first opportunity to test their new-found belief abroad is on the tour of England that starts in May.

"We have done well at home recently, but we are keeping our feet on the ground and realise that there are far sterner tests ahead of us - starting with our tour to England," Whatmore admitted.

"Our players have the quality to do well away from home but it is a case of making them mentally stronger and giving them sufficient practice in foreign conditions.

"We have been developing extra fast bowlers and all-rounders who can play a role in conditions that are different from here, but whether they can beat the likes of England is still an unanswered question."

Politics

Whatmore denies that the turbulent politics at the Sri Lankan cricket board has disturbed his players.

The board was sacked in March last year amid allegations of financial irregularities and the new committee resigned in December only for most of its members to be reappointed later the same month.

"Whatever happens in the administration has nothing to do with us," said Whatmore.

"Those type of politics will aways happen here. But there is enough for the players to think about preparing for and playing in Tests to worry about all that.

"We don't let it interfere in our team plans at all."

"We would like to be consistently in the top three rankings for Test playing nations and in the top two in the one-day format, and we are not far from achieving that.

"If we play well in the next two Tests then we have a chance of being ranked as the second best Test playing nation."

The first of those two matches is the second Test against Zimbabwe starting on 4 January. 

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