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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 deduced from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Typically, 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 progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. But still, 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 bowler himself and board schedules suggested he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to Sydney following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, importantly, was training with a pink 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 a month to prepare bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, 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: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, the board officials don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so 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 could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a full lineup when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a positive, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.