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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, 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.

Normally, an identical team list would not be much news, but this time it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from initial symptoms of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a probable return to the side soon. In theory, he might still be added to the Test squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and timelines from CA suggested he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was set to practice at nearly full tilt with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

After returning to his home city following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he started training again.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in the first Test 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 surely leaves some risk that they could return 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 backup or to bat down the order. But again, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a full lineup when picking their squad, and plans can change. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would do no harm to confirm where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.