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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in communications, but once again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation 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.”

Insider reports indicate that this is all situation normal and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the side soon. In theory, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, 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 player and timelines from CA suggested he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

After returning to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. 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, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide any information about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in both innings and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

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 his place. 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 sides must reveal a full lineup when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would do no harm to confirm where those two players are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. For those aiming of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.