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One might speculate whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, due to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery 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.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that everything is on track and his recovery remains happily on track, with a probable return to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Test squad in coming days if he and management so choose. However, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “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 his home city following the victory in the west, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as preparation for the day-night Test.

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 Brisbane? Additionally, there are over a week’s break between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share updates about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the opposite applies 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 making an impact when he did bat down the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to play lower. But again, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a full lineup when picking their squad, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to clarify where those two players are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.