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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports indicate that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, 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. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated 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.”

After returning to Sydney following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, 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 the season, the board officials 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 Cummins, 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. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they might recur 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 Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. For those aiming of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.