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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Normally, an identical team list would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view 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, Cummins could even join the Test squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the player 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 squad in Perth. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back 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 training with a pink ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Not to mention, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks since he resumed bowling.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Test series in the season, the board officials don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share any information about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. 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 making an impact when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they might recur 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 his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information 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. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.