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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in communications, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the possible movement involving both key players, neither of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go 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 team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all official statements from the player and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. 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 team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between matches. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the board officials seem not to think it necessary to provide any information about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had spasms flare up in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings 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 surely leaves some risk that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

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 his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.