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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be unclear about team selection or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an identical team list would not attract attention, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all official statements from the player and board schedules indicated he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

After returning to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up his workload, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest 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 most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in the season, the board officials don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share updates about the skipper’s condition 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 Perth during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from playing his role 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 could return in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a backup or to play lower. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a whole XI when picking their squad, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would do no harm to clarify where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.