"It will be [a case of] whoever is in form will be picked, as per usual," Marsh said when asked if members of the Bangladesh tour squad would be looked after. "It's business as usual."

The two-Test series against Bangladesh was postponed on Friday after Cricket Australia received advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding concerns for Australian "interests" in Bangladesh.

The warning was heightened after Cricket Australia's three-man security delegation returned from their fact-finding mission in Bangladesh and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the death of 50-year-old Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella, who was ambushed as he jogged through Dhaka's diplomatic quarter.

It was expected some of the players who were selected for the tour of Bangladesh – for their ability to perform in that country's unique conditions and due to players being rested – faced the cut for the New Zealand series.

"It's open season again," said Marsh. "That was the best team we could pick at that particular time. Given that we had to rest Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood, they weren't available for selection."

Marsh said he would feel sorry for any player who missed their chance to wear the baggy green because of events that were beyond the control of sporting administrators.

"You feel for blokes who would have gone on that tour and maybe even played in a Test," he said. "We'll never know who was going to play in those two Test matches. No one will never know, except perhaps me and [coach] Darren [Lehmann].

"Although, we didn't really know, either, because we didn't see the conditions. It's just a terrible shame that we couldn't go, but you can't go against what the government says. They make the rules.

"I feel very sorry for the players from both sides because I'm sure it would have been a very good contest." Marsh and the selectors picked what was called one of Australia's most inexperienced teams for Bangladesh after the retirements of Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris.

The team, which included uncapped Cameron Bancroft and Andrew Fekete, had a tad more than 200 Tests between them.

Marsh had no doubt players such as Stephen O'Keefe (one Test), Joe Burns (two), Glenn Maxwell (three), Peter Nevill (four) and Usman Khawaja (nine) would be motivated to force the selectors to choose them for the opening Test against the Kiwis when it started on November 5. "I can see each and every one of them striving to put their name further forward to be chosen," he said. "And there are spots available because of the retirements. That's a matter of fact ... we will be choosing some different players, obviously. It's a healthy environment. It always is when there are spots up for grabs."

Steve Smith, who was to lead the Australian team for the first time since Michael Clarke retired after the final Test of the Ashes series, was disappointed at the postponement of the national team's first tour to Bangladesh since 2006.

"It was a new team with some new players and we were all really looking forward to getting over there and playing," Smith said.