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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but yet again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

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

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. In theory, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and board schedules indicated he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

After returning to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, most notably, 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 Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are over a week’s break between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in both innings 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 creates concern that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is set to return to the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a full lineup 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 life is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.