Legendary spinner Shane Warne shared his worry about experienced off-spinner Nathan Lyon that the current Australian set up does not have enough cover for him. Warne thinks that finding cover for Lyon is necessary. While Lyon has played 91 Test matches so far where he has taken 363 wickets, at the Ashes, Tim Paine and Australia did not have a back up for him.

“Luckily we have such a quality spinner in Lyon, he’s done so well in all conditions around the world, held that attack together, but if something happened to him it would be a real issue,” Shane Warne said at Fox Cricket’s season launch. “It’s important for Australia – I’m not saying Lyon is retiring or anything, he’s got a lot more in him – that if something does happen for Australia that someone could set up.”

Warne also urged domestic sides to prepare players according to the national team’s needs.

“They should always pick a spinner, it’s disappointing if sides are not picking spinners regardless of conditions we should be encouraging spinners in all forms because they’ll learn how to bowl in different conditions. The job of Sheffield Shield sides is to make sure you are producing international cricketers, it’s not just looking after your own state. You have to make sure Australian cricket is strong and they should be picking spinners.”

Read here: Sourav Ganguly to Decide MSK Prasad-led Selection Committee’s Fate?

Australia will face Pakistan next month and in the opening Test, Warne hopes to see Will Pucovski.

“I think it’s time we picked a good, young player in there, bit like the old Australian way. Put him in at No. 6 and he can work his way up,” he said. “I wanted Will Pucovski to be part of the Ashes and was disappointed when he wasn’t,” Warne wrote in the Herald Sun. He’s the future of our batting, he’s the best young player in Australia and it’s time to give him a go.”