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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 fitness of players and final team composition must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not be much news, 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 not being included, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The sole official statement was a cursory line 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 team in the near future. In theory, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the player and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity 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 victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was training with a pink 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 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 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 most anticipated and closely followed Test series in the season, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up 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 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 pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, 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. Once more, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

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 do no harm to clarify where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.