🔗 Share this article

One might speculate whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be unclear about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but yet again, the health status of athletes and final team composition must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an identical team list would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from early signs of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel 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, he might still be added to the Test squad in the next few days if deemed fit by staff. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in last month, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and timelines from CA 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 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 New South Wales nets without any visible restrictions and, importantly, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, presumably as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, well over a month since Cummins said he would need a month to prepare bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Not to mention, 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.

This is acceptable: prognoses can change, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in Australia’s calendar, the governing body’s representatives seem not to think it necessary to provide updates about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with the captain, the reverse is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in Perth during brief periods on the field, preventing the regular batsman from doing so in both innings and from having any influence when he did bat down the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before creates concern that they might recur in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad suggests he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a backup or to bat down the order. But again, there is no official information about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when announcing selections, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to clarify where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but creating it out of the clearly evident is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.