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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in communications, but yet again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the second Ashes Test.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the regular captain and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. 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 side soon. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Test squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the bowler himself and timelines from CA suggested he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was set to practice at nearly full tilt 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.”

After returning to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any apparent limitations 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, well over a month since Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? Not to mention, there are over a week’s break between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

This is acceptable: 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 Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it necessary to provide any information about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the reverse is true with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so 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 might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion logically means he is set to return to the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. But again, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. A bit of mystery in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.