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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board 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 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in October, starting the clock on his return to play, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “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 seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, 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 high-profile 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 opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in both innings and from having any influence when he eventually batted. 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.

His inclusion logically means he is set to return to opening the batting, 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, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where both batsmen are due to bat. A bit of mystery in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.