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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be unclear about team selection or simply lacks effectiveness 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 second Ashes Test.

Normally, an identical team list would not be much news, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving both key players, none of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the regular captain and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and fans will wonder 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, most notably, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between matches. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

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 Australia’s calendar, 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.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk 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 his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information 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 cause no issue to clarify where those two players are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. For those aiming of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.