Smith's praise for Agar the batsman

Ashton Agar has the potential to eventually bat in Australia's top six in Test cricket, but looks set to take up a spot in the lower order on the upcoming Qantas Tour of Bangladesh.

That's according to skipper Steve Smith, who says Agar could one day emulate himself and transition from a player who offers handy runs late in the innings to a member of the Australia's top order.

Agar remains the owner of the highest ever Test score by a No.11 batsman, the 98 he scored on debut more than four years ago that temporarily shot him to superstardom and earned him a permanent spot in Ashes folklore.

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Now 23, Agar is expected to take on the role of Australia's second spinner for their two-Test series against Bangladesh, starting later this month, which likely see him bat at No.8 in the order.

But Smith, a frontline spinner who batted as low as No.8 in his first stint as a Test player, says the left-hander has the talent to one day take on more responsibility with the bat.

"I think he could certainly end up in the top six, I think he's got that ability," Smith told cricket.com.au.

"Right now I'm not sure, he's probably playing mainly as a spinner who can bat a bit, somewhere like where I started probably.

"But I think he's certainly got the capability to bat in the top six at some point.

"He's a different sort of batter; he's got a very free-flowing and unique swing.

"It looked like he has some really good plans against spin (in the nets on the recent tour of India) so he looks like he'll be able to play a role with both bat and ball."

Agar's performance with the bat on Test debut has been followed by a move up the order to as high as No.5 with Western Australia and, two Sheffield Shield seasons ago, he scored two centuries in a little more than a month and finished the summer with 361 runs at 36.

While his output tailed off last Shield season, when his highest score from four matches was 35, he's confident he could handle a shift up to as high as No.7 in the Test side.

"I think I would be able to if I was given that opportunity," he said after he was picked in an extended Test squad for the New Year's Test in January. "I would back myself to do that.

"I see myself as an allrounder. I've been selected in this squad as a spinner but I think I'm capable with bat and ball."

Australia are set to rely on several allrounders for their series against Bangladesh, just their second Test tour of the Asian nation and their first since 2006.

The 14-man squad picked by Test selectors Trevor Hohns, Greg Chappell and coach Darren Lehmann features just five frontline batsmen - Smith, David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Usman Khawaja - as well as allrounders Agar, Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright.

Maxwell is the incumbent No.6 having scored a century in the third Test in Ranchi in March while Khawaja is hoping to resume his spot in the top order having been dropped for the India series and replaced by Shaun Marsh.

Cartwright, the second leading run-scorer last Shield season, is also in the frame having made his debut in Sydney in January and he earned a strong endorsement from selector Trevor Hohns when the squad was announced in June.

Smith said this week's training camp in Darwin as well as a two-day practice match in Fattulah will play a key role in shaping the XI for the first Test, which starts in Dhaka on August 27.

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"That's a good opportunity for a few guys to put their best foot forward," he said.

"The last Test series was in India and conditions will be similar (in Bangladesh).

"The training camp in Darwin will be a good one for us ... we'll be able to look at a few guys and see how they're going."

Australia in Bangladesh 2017

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.

Bangladesh squad (preliminary): Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mahmudullah Riyad, Liton Kumar Das, Mominul Haque, Mehedi Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Subhashish Roy, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Rubel Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Sanjamul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Mohammad Saifuddin, Anamul Haque, Abul Hasan Raju, Al Amin Hossain, Nasir Hossain, Muktar Ali, Tanbir Haider, Saqlain Sajib, Shafiul Islam.

11-17 August Australia pre-tour training camp, Darwin

18 August Australia arrive

22-23 August Tour match, Fatullah

27-31 August First Test, Dhaka

4-8 September Second Test, Chittagong