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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 yet again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the second Ashes Test.

Typically, an identical team list would not be much news, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving both key players, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise 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 Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, all public commentary from the player and timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the squad in Perth. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

After returning to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

What prompted the shift, 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 Brisbane? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be more than seven weeks since he started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, 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 seem not to think it reasonable to share updates about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with Cummins, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in both innings and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion suggests 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 backup or to play lower. Once more, 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 strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. For those aiming of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.