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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but once again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an identical team list 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 now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate 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, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the player and board schedules suggested he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

After returning to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, most notably, was training with a pink 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 four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in the season, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide updates about the captain’s fitness and availability or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in Perth during brief periods on the field, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in the match and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

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 confirmation about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a whole XI when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would cause no issue to clarify where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.