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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 yet again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither 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 back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel 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 side soon. In theory, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all official statements from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was set to practice at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, well over a month since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it reasonable to share any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so 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 might recur in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion logically means he is set to return to the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a full lineup when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.