Mitchell Starc says he'll have to tone down his naturally attacking approach to bowling during Australia's Qantas Tour of the United Arab Emirates as part of a fine-tuned strategy for the subcontinent.

Australia are yet to reveal who will partner the left-arm speedster for the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai, with recalled veteran Peter Siddle and uncapped Queenslander Michael Neser the contenders for the second fast-bowling berth.

Siddle and Starc bowled together in the nets during Friday's final major training session ahead of the series-opener, but Neser was picked ahead of Siddle for the recent tour match against Pakistan A and bowled well despite picking up just one wicket.

Whoever gets the nod, Starc says Australia's quicks have a new mandate to play second fiddle to spinners Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland.

Which will be a significant change of approach for the prolific left-armer, who has 182 wickets from just 43 Tests and is one of just five current bowlers in the world with a strike rate of less than 50.

"We've changed the roles of the fast bowlers over here, it's a little bit more of a supportive role and the spinners come into the game a lot sooner," Starc said on Friday during a visit to a labour camp on the outskirts of Dubai as part of a Cricket Cares initiative.

"I've had conversations with JL (coach Justin Langer) and a few other guys about potentially changing my role slightly to these parts of the world. It's not like Australia where you can blast guys out on fast, bouncy wickets."

After a brutal introduction to Test cricket in the subcontinent, Starc has since proved his pace and late movement can be a weapon regardless of how flat the pitch.

His first three Tests in Asia yielded four wickets at 85, including Australia's most recent match in the UAE where Younis Khan blasted a double-century and Misbah-ul-Haq hit the equal-quickest Test hundred.

But the 2016 Test series in Sri Lanka, while miserable for Australia in that they suffered a 0-3 whitewash, saw Starc take 24 wickets at 15, the greatest haul by an Aussie quick in a three-Test series.

"In the past, perhaps that Test match I played here last time (in Abu Dhabi), I was stuck in that Australian mindset of attack, attack, attack," explained Starc, who will be without fellow Ashes-winning quicks Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins for this tour.

"I went for runs and didn't really take too many wickets.

"I've progressed my game to play many different roles and I have to shape that role to this part of the world and watch the world's greatest (spinner) do his thing from the other end in Nath (Lyon).

"In that (Sri Lanka) tour I think I sort of realised when to attack and when to have to sit back, still not go for too many runs. When the ball was reversing, that's when I could attack.

"But at the same time, it's making sure you're building that pressure by not going for runs and earning the right to take those wickets and bowling attacking.

"Here where the wickets are probably even flatter and it's a bit warmer as well, you have to change that role again slightly, but I'll be definitely taking a bit of that (Sri Lanka series) blueprint into this tour as well."

Having played together in that Abu Dhabi Test back in 2014, Starc backed Siddle to perform if he wins an international cap for the first time in nearly two years.

"He's got over 200 Test wickets, so he's got a lot of experience in international cricket," he said.

"He's been away from the international game for a little bit but taken a lot of wickets in cricket in Australia and then over in England (in county cricket with Essex this year) as well.

"(He's) a guy with a huge amount of experience. The ball seems to be coming out really well, he's in a very happy place.

"If he suits up for us on the weekend I'm sure he'll do a fantastic job as he has done in the past."