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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 fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an identical team list would not attract attention, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from initial symptoms of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that this is all situation normal and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

After returning 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, 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 less than a week to go in Brisbane? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between matches. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in the season, the board officials seem not to think it necessary to provide updates 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 spasms flare up in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in the match and from having any influence when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem creates concern that they could return in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup 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 whole XI when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where both batsmen 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 winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.