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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports support the view that this is all situation normal and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. In theory, Cummins could even join the Test squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

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 suggested he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning 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 apparent limitations and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, well over a month since he indicated requiring four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he started training again.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. It’s just peculiar is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up 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 fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad 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.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a full lineup when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. For those aiming of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.