It is an unprecedented move for Australia not to send their leading fast bowler to a Test series and Johnson's absence is likely to leave captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, spinner Nathan Lyon and recalled quick Peter Siddle as the only players with substantive Test experience in a new-look squad for the two matches on the subcontinent.

The decision to keep him and Hazlewood at home opens Australia up to possible criticism that they are taking world No.9 Bangladesh lightly in their first post-Ashes outing. However, Cricket Australia is intent on carefully managing the output of its pacemen with home series against New Zealand and the West Indies to come from November and then two Tests across the ditch in the new year.

"The selectors won't meet to discuss the tour of Bangladesh for a couple of weeks," said Pat Howard, CA's executive general manager of team performance. "There's some important consideration that needs to be given to managing our fast bowlers, not just in Bangladesh, but the full 10-Test season, and that will be part of the discussion. Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood are two players that have had heavy workloads and need to be managed carefully if we are to give them the best chance of success throughout that entire period. Neither player has had a pre-season to prepare for the Australian summer and we think that's particularly important."

Without Johnson and Hazlewood the Australian fast bowling contingent could well comprise Ashes squad members Siddle, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins as well as another quick such as James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile or Gurinder Sandhu, who impressed on the recent Australia A tour of India where he also bowled spin. Starc is expected to have to soldier on after a gruelling schedule similar to Johnson this year.

While spin will be at the forefront of Australia's plans Johnson was about the only bowler who left their last series in subcontinental conditions, against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last year, with his head held high. Even so, Australia clearly believe they can get the job done without him against a team that just beat South Africa in a one-day series and gave the Proteas a run for their money in a drawn and rain-affected Test campaign.

"Mitchell has also shown that he responds well to the benefits of a strong preparation at home. We called him home early from the 2013 one-day tour of India to get ready for the Ashes which helped him enter that series fresh and ready to spearhead the attack," Howard said. "When looking at the Bangladesh series, selectors will also need to look at the bowlers they think will be most suited to those conditions."

Meanwhile, Hazlewood, who did not play in the fifth Test against England at the Oval last month due to "niggles", is still seen as a key member of the Australian attack for the home summer but there is a desire to give him a break. "We were pleased to have got six Test matches out of Josh throughout the winter but we recognise that he is only young and needs careful management," Howard said.

As for Australia's spinners Steve O'Keefe must surely join Nathan Lyon in the touring party after a fine display for Australia A in India in July when he was the Australians' leading bowler with 14 wickets at 20 over two matches.

The last time Australia were in Bangladesh, in 2006, they fielded three spinners - Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Dan Cullen - and the same could occur with spin-bowling all-rounder Glenn Maxwell tipped to tour. O'Keefe's competition comes from Ashton Agar but the NSW left-armer's numbers are vastly superior. His first-class average of 24 is well below Agar's 38 and he also averages higher with the bat.

Fawad Ahmed, Lyon's back-up in the West Indies and England, is unlikely to get an opportunity.