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One might speculate whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

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

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the regular captain and pace spearhead deep into his recovery 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 further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, 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 Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, 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 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.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets 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 a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he started training again.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. 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 updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion suggests he is due to resume opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.