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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be unclear about team selection or simply has a deficiency in communications, but yet again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad 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 not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that this is all situation normal and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and timelines from CA indicated 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, “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 apparent limitations and, importantly, 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 bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Test series in Australia’s calendar, the board officials 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 Cummins, 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 doing so in the match and from having any influence when he did bat down the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem creates concern that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is due to resume the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to clarify where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. For those aiming of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.