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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be unclear about team selection 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 second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, thanks to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line 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 probable return to the side soon. In theory, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the bowler himself and timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “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 Sydney following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since Cummins said he would need 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. Should he target Adelaide, 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. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, 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 Cummins, the reverse is true with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from playing his role in the match and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is due to resume the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a full lineup when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.