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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but yet 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.

Typically, an identical team list would not be much news, but this time it is, thanks to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the regular captain and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a probable return to the side soon. 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.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated 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. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl 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 seen bowling in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, presumably 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 his workload, and with less than a week to go 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 resumed bowling.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share any information about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, 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 fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a backup or to play lower. But again, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal 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 do no harm to confirm where those two players are due to bat. A bit of mystery in sports is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. For those aiming of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.