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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but this time it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the side soon. In theory, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive 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 initial match and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “He will be up and bowling 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 observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare 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. 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, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the board officials seem not to think it reasonable to share any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from playing his role in both innings and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk 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 Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

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 captured public attention, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.