Australia will need to spin to win across two matches in Galle, where turning pitches could necessitate as many as three front-line tweakers alongside Travis Head's part-time off-spin.
Nathan Lyon is assured of one spot, with fellow finger-spinners Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann both in the frame for Test recalls after impressive debut series in India's similar conditions two years ago.
Kuhnemann is a particularly enticing prospect given he spins the ball the other way as a left-armer.
Matthew Kuhnemann impressed on the 2023 tour to India. (AP PHOTO)
Corey Rocchiccioli, another off-spinner, could earn his Test debut after taking more wickets than any other tweaker in last season's Sheffield Shield.
Australia will name their squad for the two-Test Sri Lanka tour this week and for O'Keefe, who played six of his nine Tests on the subcontinent, it's a case of the more spinners the merrier.
"I would seriously be inclined to take them all," he told AAP of the four leading off-spin options.
"The benefit at the moment with the spinners in Australia is that I think it's as strong as it's ever been in regards to guys being able to back up Nathan Lyon."
With teenage opener Sam Konstas in line for his first taste of subcontinent Test cricket, O'Keefe said picking Connolly would lay further groundwork for the future.
The 21-year-old batting allrounder made a memorable first-class debut with 90 runs in the first innings of Western Australia's win over Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield final last summer.
He averages 61.80 in first-class cricket, can send down handy overs of off-spin and has already debuted for Australia in Twenty20 and 50-over cricket.
Cooper Connolly has proven a handy offspinner. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)
With subcontinent wickets dramatically different from those produced by Australian groundskeepers, O'Keefe felt the tour and preceding training camp in the United Arab Emirates would give selectors a chance to ready Connolly for future Test honours.
"It'd be great if they were able to pick him not as maybe the touring group but I know in the past they've picked players to develop and get them experienced in those conditions," O'Keefe said.
"They should take a player like him just to be around the team, just to learn those conditions, because I think he's sort of the future as well."
O'Keefe is less sold on the selection chances of Mitch Swepson, Australia's leading red-ball leg-spinner.
Swepson played both games the last time Australia toured to Sri Lanka but Travis Head was more effective with his part-time off-spin in the victorious second Test.
Mitch Swepson in Sheffield Shield action for Queensland. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)
"It's mightily tough to pick a leggie and that's no knock on Mitch Swepson because I think he's a high-quality player," O'Keefe said.
"If they do want that variety with the leggy, obviously it is Swepson who goes.
"But control is so important in those conditions in Sri Lanka. I think that's what finger spin offers you.
"You can have two right-arm quicks in a side but they can be completely different so I don't see why you can't have two off-spinners in the side who bowl differently (rather than a leg-spinner).
"I think a left-arm finger spinner is always going to be effective, so you've got Gaz (Lyon) (and) I'd be leaning towards Kuhnemann."
17°C