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One might speculate whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an identical team list would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the side soon. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Test squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss 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 Sydney 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, well over a month since he indicated requiring four weeks to build up his workload, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months 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 most anticipated and closely followed Test series in the season, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in the match and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion logically means he is set to return to the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to clarify where those two players are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.