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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, 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 identical team list would not attract attention, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving both key players, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from initial symptoms of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in October, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity 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.”

Once Cummins got back to Sydney 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 training with a pink ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the board officials seem not to think it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from playing his role in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they might recur 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 Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer 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. A bit of mystery in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.