🔗 Share this article

You could wonder whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply lacks effectiveness in communications, but yet again, the health status of athletes and the makeup of the XI must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not attract attention, but this time it is, thanks to the anticipated changes involving both key players, 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 “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to further his training.”

Suggestions from within CA indicate that everything is on track and his healing is proceeding well, with a likely addition to the side soon. Theoretically, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, something the claims doesn’t add up.

Going back to when his medical tests came back positive in last month, starting the clock on his buildup to match fitness, all public commentary from the bowler himself and timelines from CA suggested he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was scheduled to train at nearly full tilt with the squad in Perth. The head coach remarked, “Cummins will be fit to bowl in Perth, and fans will wonder why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins got back to Sydney following the victory in the west, he was observed practicing in the New South Wales nets without any apparent limitations and, importantly, was training with a pink ball, presumably as preparation for the day-night Test.

So, why the change of plans, well over a month since he indicated requiring a month to prepare his workload, and with six days until the first ball in the Gabba? Additionally, there are over a week’s break 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, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. It’s just peculiar is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Test series in the season, the board officials don’t appear to consider it reasonable to share updates about the skipper’s condition or the evolving status of either.

And if caution is the watchword with Cummins, the opposite applies with Khawaja’s back injury. He had spasms flare up in the first Test during brief periods on the field, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in the match and from having any influence when he did bat down the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem creates concern that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

His inclusion logically means he is set to return to opening the batting, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to play lower. 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. 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 those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in sports is a positive, but manufacturing it out of the broadly obvious is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.