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One might speculate whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in communications, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be deduced 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 both key players, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track 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 Brisbane squad in the next few 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 return to play, all public commentary from the bowler himself and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder 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 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 less than a week to go in the Gabba? Not to mention, there are over a week’s break between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, 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. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Test series in the season, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it reasonable to share any information about the captain’s fitness and availability 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 Perth during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a reserve or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a full lineup when picking their squad, and plans can change. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. A bit of mystery in life is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.