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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 fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an identical team list would not attract attention, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the regular captain and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. 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.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city following the victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between matches. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in the season, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it necessary to provide any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in the match and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, 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 set to return to opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to bat down the order. 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 picking their squad, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.