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You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the selection in the larger squad for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an identical team list would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, 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 stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. In theory, 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 October, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the player and board schedules indicated he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was set to practice at nearly full tilt with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to Sydney following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare bowling loads, and with less than a week to go in the Gabba? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between matches. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

This is acceptable: medical opinions evolve, medical staff can be conservative, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in the season, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from playing his role in the match and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem creates concern that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion 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 backup or to bat down the order. But again, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a whole XI when picking their squad, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to clarify where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.