FORMER Test bowler Kerry O’Keeffe says Australia’s World Cup defence is under threat as its spin stocks fall well behind rivals England and India, however Shane Warne believes he might just have a solution.

The world’s best one-day international side England has built its success with leg-spinner Adil Rashid, while second-best India operates with fellow wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Australia, however, completed the majority of its last ODI series without a specialist tweaker, opting to use off-spinning all-rounder Ashton Agar with little effect.

O’Keeffe said Australia has failed to develop quality wrist-spin bowlers who can damage opposition with bamboozling variations. The shortage could see the nation come up short at the World Cup in England next year.

“The reason these spinners (Rashid, Yadav and Chahal) are striking is the fact they’ve got big wrong-uns,” O’Keeffe told foxsports.com.au.

“I’m looking at the wrong-un bowlers in Australian first-class cricket and I can’t see too many who have the really hard-to-play wrong-un.”

Agar endured a difficult one-day tour of England in June, taking just four wickets in five consecutive ODI losses at an average of 58.

Fellow spinning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was only afforded four overs all series, while Test star Nathan Lyon played two matches, taking figures of 1-70 from 17 overs.

Meanwhile, Rashid - and his googly - dominated the series with 12 wickets at 21.50, taking his all-time ODI tally to 113 at 30.80.

He took a further six wickets (24.83) in an ODI series against India last month, that saw left-handed wrist-spinner Yadav stun the hosts with nine wickets at 16.44.

Chahal was arguably left behind in the series with just two wickets (67.50), but the 28-year-old has 45 ODI wickets at 23.86 since making his debut in June 2016.

Fox Cricket commentator O’Keeffe said the Australian attack is somewhat toothless without a dangerous leg-spinner, and a solution needs to be found quickly.

“I think we’ve fallen behind, we haven’t got a strike spinner. And the wrist spinners have been striking for India and we need to find that strike spinner,” he said.

“Is it Ashton Agar? Jury is still out. Is it Nathan Lyon, who strikes as a Test bowler and wants to be the strike spinner in the one-day set up? Is there a smoky out there, some wrist spinner that’s going to do well in the JLT One-Day Cup and put his name forward? We just need that strike spinner.

“The overseas spinners are striking in overs 11 to 40. We haven’t got that slow bowler yet, we need to find one, and quickly.”

O’Keeffe’s fellow former leg-spinner Warne said bowling “variety” is key to winning World Cups, which Australia has done five times since 1987.

He said any team that has a leg-spinner who can take wickets in the middle overs will have a clear advantage over its opponents.

“India and England have got two good leg-spinners but they’ve got variety as well in their attacks which gives them an advantage,” Warne told foxsports.com.au. “No matter what the situation, what the conditions, they’ve got the attack for it.”

When considering the answer to Australia’s leg-spinning problem, O’Keeffe looked past those on the fringes - such as Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson - saying “the jury is still out” on them as well.

Instead, it is youngsters Daniel Fallins and South Australia’s Lloyd Pope who excite the commentary icon.

“I like the look of Fallins from New South Wales, although he hasn’t played, but he has got a contract,” O’Keeffe said. “What will they do with him? Will they play him in the 50-over game? Because he’s got a Stuart MacGill-like factor to his bowling. Big viper, big wrong-un.

“Lloyd Pope, the 18-year-old spinner from Adelaide - hasn’t played for South Australia yet but could do.

“Will he be fast-tracked? Because he has got the wrong-un. He bamboozled the under 19s at the World Cup but can he do it against men? We don’t know but we’re about to find out hopefully.”

Warne, however, looked in the other direction, saying it’s not too late to re-call 36-year-old Fawad Ahmed.

Ahmed has just three ODI caps to his name which came within two weeks in September 2013.

He took just three wickets against Scotland and England at 48.33, but Warne said his figures don’t tell the full story.

“When he played in England a few years ago, he was up against some pretty good players,” he said. “Australia weren’t playing well and he bowled in really difficult situations.

“They hadn’t got any wickets, two people were set and he had to come on to bowl. I don’t think he got a really good opportunity.”

Ahmed was the domestic one-day cup’s fourth-highest wicket taker last year (12 at 26.83), and the Big Bash League’s eighth-highest (12 at 20.41), however he is currently without a state contract. In July, the spinner told the Daily Telegraphhe would be happy to play domestic cricket for Victoria again if called upon.

Most recently, Ahmed has taken six wickets at 22.16 for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.

“I think Ahmed is a terrific leg-spinner, especially in one-day cricket. I would have liked to see him in there. I like his bowling,” Warne said.

He added: “I’d love to see Fawad be the legspinner in the World Cup.”

The 708-Test-wicket legend said despite Australia’s recent ODI woes, the nation will find a way to be competitive at the World Cup.

The tournament will likely see the return of suspended batting duo Steve Smith and David Warner, who Warne said will be complemented by some “very talented white ball players”.

“We’ll always perform well and lift in the World Cups ... When you look at the [Glenn] Maxwells and the Travis Heads and these sort of guys who fit in beautifully,” he said.

“We’ve got some super talent in the World Cup. We’ll give that a shake. We always do.”