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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but this time it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, 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. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the player and timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was set to practice at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. 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, most notably, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume 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 his workload, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series 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.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the reverse is true with the opener’s issue. He had spasms flare up in Perth during brief periods on the field, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in the match and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion suggests he is due to resume opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where both batsmen are due to bat. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.