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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in communications, but yet again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an identical team list would not attract attention, but on this occasion it is, due to the possible movement 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 fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the player and timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning 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 apparent limitations and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the board officials don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share 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 spasms flare up in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, 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 set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a whole XI when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.