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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but on this occasion 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 regular captain and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. In theory, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in October, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was set to practice at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, 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 the Gabba? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between matches. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, 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 opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion logically means he is set to return to the top order, 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, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary 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 Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.