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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 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 anticipated changes involving both key players, none of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the regular captain and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. In theory, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in October, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the bowler himself and timelines from CA indicated he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder 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 New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? 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.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, 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 don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from playing his role in both innings and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem 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 Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a backup or to play lower. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a full lineup when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. For those aiming of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.