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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in communications, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an identical team list would not attract attention, but on this occasion it is, due to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and timelines from CA indicated he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

After returning to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring four weeks to build up his workload, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Test series in the season, the board officials 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 Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in the match and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they might recur 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. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. 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 plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to clarify where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. For those aiming of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.