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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about team selection or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but yet again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Typically, an identical team list would not attract attention, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving both key players, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the regular captain and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms 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.”

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, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all public commentary from the bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt 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.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions 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, 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? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, 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 seem not to think it necessary to provide updates about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had spasms flare up in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in the match and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is due to resume the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a backup or to bat down the order. But again, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary 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 Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to clarify where those two players are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.