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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but yet again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, due 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 regular captain and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from initial symptoms 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 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 team in the near future. In theory, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all official statements from the player and board schedules suggested he would just be unavailable for the initial match 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 his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the state facilities 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, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball 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 more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the board officials seem not to think it necessary to provide any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the changing nature of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is due to resume the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to play lower. But again, 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 plans can change. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.