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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an identical team list would not attract attention, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving both key players, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the team announcement 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. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all official statements from the player and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the team during the match. 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 his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, 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 readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up his workload, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are over a week’s break between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it reasonable to share any information about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in the first Test 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. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to clarify where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.