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One might speculate whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency 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.

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

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, 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 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 healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was scheduled to train 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 Sydney following the victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any visible restrictions 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 he indicated requiring four weeks to build up his workload, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, 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. It’s just peculiar is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the board officials don’t appear to consider 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 Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem creates concern that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. Once more, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would cause no issue to clarify where both batsmen are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.