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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be unclear about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but this time it is, thanks to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the regular captain and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that this is all situation normal and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the side soon. In theory, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to 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 suggested he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

After returning to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any apparent limitations and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, 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 the Gabba? Not to mention, there are over a week’s break between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he started training again.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, 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 any information about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the reverse is true with the opener’s issue. 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 surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is due to resume the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked 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 sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a positive, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. For those aiming of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.