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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be unclear about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in communications, but yet again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Typically, 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, none of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from initial symptoms of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment 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 this is all situation normal and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the team in the near future. In theory, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive 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 first Test 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 Sydney following the victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are over a week’s break between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, 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 seem not to think it reasonable to share updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test 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. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem creates concern that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

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 Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. But again, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a whole XI when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.