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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be unclear about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

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

Cummins is the surprise for not being included, with the regular captain and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

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. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all official statements from the player 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.”

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

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, 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.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Test series in the season, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider 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 eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

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. Once more, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a whole XI when picking their squad, and plans can change. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would do no harm to clarify where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in life is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. For those aiming of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.