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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be unclear about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an identical team list would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither 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 stress fracture. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a probable return to the side soon. In theory, he might still be added to the Test squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was set to practice 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 team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any apparent limitations and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball 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 started training again.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in the season, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it necessary to provide any information about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. 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.

His inclusion suggests he is due to resume 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 play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.