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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in communications, but yet again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an identical team list would not be much news, but this time it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving both key players, neither of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins 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 cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, 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 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 people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? 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 more than seven weeks since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, athletes might take care. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in the match and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, 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 due to resume 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 confirmation about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a whole XI when picking their squad, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would do no harm to clarify where those two players are due to bat. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.