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You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers 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 selection in the larger squad for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an identical team list would not be much news, but this time it is, thanks to the possible movement involving both key players, none of which has come to pass.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that this is all situation normal and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. But still, 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 timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was set to practice at close to full intensity with the team during the match. The head coach remarked, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

After returning to his home city following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up his workload, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between matches. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the board officials seem not to think it necessary to provide any information about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword 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 eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion logically means he is due to resume opening the batting, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to play lower. Once more, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

It isn’t necessary that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, communication goes a long way.