Australia captain Steve Smith has disagreed with Usman Khawaja's assessment regarding the Queenslander's lack of "consistent opportunities" in the Test side on the subcontinent.

Earlier this week Khawaja questioned the horses-for-courses selection policy Australia had adopted for their batting group recently as they look to become a more competitive side in Asia, where they have traditionally struggled.

Khawaja, who averages 63.73 in Australia and 14.62 in Asia, has been the chief example of that new approach, which was forecast in August 2016 by Pat Howard, Cricket Australia's Executive General Manager of High Performance, following a 0-3 Test series humbling in Sri Lanka.

"(It is) very hard to develop your game and play some consist cricket if you're not getting consistent opportunities overseas, which I haven't been getting," Khawaja told ABC Grandstand.

"(The selectors) never used to (change the team based on the country they were playing in) before, I'm not really sure why they do it now. It creates a lot of instability in the team I reckon, going in and out for everyone."

Khawaja played two Tests in the three-Test series in Sri Lanka, was dropped for the India Test series in February-March after passing fifty in all six home Tests, then returned to the team in Bangladesh, only to be dropped for the second Test after twin failures in the series opener.

In those six innings, he managed 57 runs at 9.5.

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"I think he's had a few opportunities on the subcontinent and just hasn't gone to that level that he has done in Australia," Smith told Fox Sports' The Back Page.

"He's been magnificent here in Australia – I think he averages 60-odd.

"So he probably hasn't adapted as well as we would've liked, and for that he hasn't got the opportunities in the last couple of series.

"It's always difficult – I think he had six months where he didn't play a game of cricket, which is tough for a professional cricketer.

"So it was tough, and he's talking his mind now, but I don't completely agree with everything he says."

One of Khawaja's main issues with the selection policy was the aforementioned "instability" it created for batsmen looking to forge their way in Test cricket.

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"You hear things like 'the players are playing afraid' or whatnot, but that's what happens when you drop players all the time," he added.

"We've been doing that a fair bit lately.

"I know as captain of Queensland I try and avoid that as much as possible; players I pick in the first game, I try to stick with them as long as possible, because they'll always be the best players on the park."

Smith said Australia's results in Asia over the past decade – three wins from 23 Tests – had forced the hand of selectors as they pursued a means of reversing a disappointing trend.

And the skipper pointed to the fact that two of those wins have come in 2017 as progress.

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"It would be great (to be able to 'pick and stick'), but particularly for subcontinent tours we just haven't been able to win, for many years," he said.

"So it's about trying to find the formula that works, and we've been chopping and changing to try and do that.

"(This year's tour of) India, to be fair, was a stride in the right direction – I thought we played some pretty good cricket there.

"And then the second Test in Bangladesh, having lost the toss and having to bowl first, to win a Test match there was a good effort as well.

"So we're certainly making strides in those conditions."

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21