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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an identical team list would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, due to the possible movement involving both key players, neither of which has now eventuated.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the squad release 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, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive 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 initial match and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city 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 readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. 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, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it necessary to provide any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority 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 both innings and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk 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 Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.