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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once 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.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a back injury. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the player and timelines from CA indicated he would just be unavailable for the first Test 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 fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

After returning to his home city following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume 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 his workload, and with six days until the first ball 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: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share updates about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is set to return to the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to bat down the order. But again, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.