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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, thanks to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

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, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his return to play, all official statements from the player and board schedules indicated 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. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl 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 New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up his workload, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? 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.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, the board officials seem not to think it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the reverse is true with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in the match 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 might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

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 reserve or to play lower. But again, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would do no harm to clarify where those two players are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.