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One might speculate whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be unclear about team selection 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 second Ashes Test.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but this time it is, due 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 regular captain and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the side soon. In theory, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and timelines from CA 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, “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 New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

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? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status 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 two paltry fielding innings, 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 creates concern that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to bat down the order. Once more, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a whole XI when picking their squad, and plans can change. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. For those aiming of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.