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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement 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.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, he might still be added to 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 Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and timelines from CA indicated he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

After returning to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, well over a month since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? Not to mention, there are over a week’s break between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile 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 changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in the match and from having any influence when he did bat down the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.