🔗 Share this article

One might speculate whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an identical team list would not be much news, but this time it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the team skipper and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The sole official statement was a brief mention with the squad release stating that Cummins is scheduled to go to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports indicate that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a probable return to the team in the near future. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when Cummins’ scans were cleared in last month, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all official statements from the bowler himself and timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the initial match and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt 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.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was seen bowling in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

What prompted the shift, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? 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: medical opinions evolve, 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 necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the changing nature 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 doing so in both innings and from making an impact when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

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

It isn’t necessary that sides must reveal a whole XI when announcing selections, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.