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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in communications, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but on this occasion it is, due to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a stress fracture. 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 this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in October, starting the clock on his return to play, all public commentary from the bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “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 Sydney following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

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. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, 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 any information about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the opposite applies 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 surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to bat down the order. Once more, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when picking their squad, and plans can change. 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 those two players are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.