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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be unclear about team selection or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but once again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the selection in the larger squad 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, neither of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, 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 brief mention with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a probable return to the side soon. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and board schedules suggested he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was set to practice 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 his home city following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, 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 over two months since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the board officials don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the reverse is true with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during brief periods on the field, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in both innings and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem creates concern that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are due to bat. A bit of mystery in sports is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.