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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be opaque about team selection or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players 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 attract attention, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a stress fracture. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. In theory, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the player and board schedules indicated he would just be unavailable for the initial match and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

After returning to Sydney following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it reasonable to share updates about the captain’s fitness and availability or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had spasms flare up in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman 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 creates concern that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is due to resume opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to play lower. But again, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance drew fan interest, it would do no harm to clarify where both batsmen are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.