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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in communications, but yet again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the team in the near future. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and timelines from CA indicated he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was set to practice at nearly full tilt with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “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, most notably, was training with a pink ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between matches. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he started training again.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest 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 changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, 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 creates concern that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. Once more, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a whole XI when picking their squad, and plans can change. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where those two players 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 engaging fans, communication goes a long way.