🔗 Share this article

You could wonder whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be unclear about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the selection in the larger squad for the second Ashes Test.

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.

The unexpected element is Cummins for his omission, with the regular captain and pace spearhead deep into his recovery from initial symptoms of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a brief mention with the squad release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a probable return to the side soon. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Test squad in coming days if deemed fit by staff. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Recalling when his medical tests came back positive in October, starting the clock 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 scheduled to train at nearly full tilt 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.”

After returning to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, most notably, was training with a pink ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

What prompted the shift, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with less than a week to go in Brisbane? Not to mention, 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, medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Test series in Australia’s calendar, the board officials don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share any information about the captain’s fitness and availability or the evolving status of either.

If care is the priority with the captain, the opposite applies with the opener’s issue. He had spasms flare up in Perth during brief periods on the field, keeping Australia’s usual opener from doing so in both innings and from having any influence when he did bat down the order. Though he may have improved, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

His inclusion suggests he is set to return to the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in Perth. He wouldn’t be selected as a reserve or to bat down the order. Once more, there is no official information about this, just the selection.

This doesn’t mean that sides must reveal a whole XI when picking their squad, and plans can change. However, certain decisions are clearer than others, and considering how Travis Head’s explosive performance captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are due to bat. A bit of mystery in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of winning over audiences, transparency is crucial.