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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the selection in the larger squad for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an identical team list would not attract attention, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, well over a month since he indicated requiring four weeks to build up his workload, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Test series in the season, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it necessary to provide updates about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in the match and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is due to resume opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a whole XI when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.