🔗 Share this article

You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but yet again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be deduced from the selection in the larger squad for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, due to the anticipated changes involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, none of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a back injury. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Insider reports support the view that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a probable return to the side soon. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Test squad in the next few days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in October, initiating the countdown on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and timelines from CA indicated he would just be unavailable for the first Test and was scheduled to train at close to full intensity with the team during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said, “He will be up and bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to his home city following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing 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, more than four weeks since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go 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 started training again.

That in itself is fine: prognoses can change, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the governing body’s representatives don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share any information about the captain’s fitness and availability 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 spasms flare up in Perth during two paltry fielding innings, 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 surely leaves some risk that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is set to return to the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a backup or to bat down the order. Once more, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a full lineup when picking their squad, and strategies may shift. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would do no harm to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. A bit of mystery in life is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.