🔗 Share this article

One might speculate whether Cricket Australia intentionally chooses to be opaque about player availability or simply has a deficiency in communications, but once again, the fitness of players and final team composition must be deduced from the 14-player squad announcement for the Brisbane match.

Typically, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, due to the possible movement involving Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has come to pass.

The unexpected element is Cummins for not being included, with the team skipper and pace spearhead progressing in rehabilitation from initial symptoms of a back injury. The sole official statement was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations.”

Suggestions from within CA support the view that this is all situation normal and his recovery remains happily on track, with a likely addition to the team in the near future. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Brisbane squad in coming days if he and management so choose. But still, the explanations seem inconsistent.

Going back to when Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, starting the clock on his return to play, all official statements from the player and board schedules suggested he would only narrowly miss the first Test and was set to practice at close to full intensity 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.”

After returning to his home city following the team’s raucous two-day win, he was observed practicing in the state facilities without any visible restrictions and, most notably, was using a pink Kookaburra ball, what one would assume as readiness for the Brisbane day-night game.

So, why the change of plans, more than four weeks since Cummins said he would need 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 Brisbane and the third Test. Should he target Adelaide, it will be over two months since he resumed bowling.

That in itself is fine: medical opinions evolve, doctors may be cautious, players can be cautious. What’s strange is that during the most anticipated and closely followed Ashes contest in the season, the board officials don’t appear to consider it necessary to provide 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 Khawaja’s back injury. He had muscle spasms in the first Test during two paltry fielding innings, preventing the regular batsman from playing his role in both innings and from making an impact when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the newness of the problem surely leaves some risk that they could return in the pressure of Brisbane.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is due to resume the top order, even though his replacement scored a historic hundred in his place. Khawaja wouldn’t be picked as a backup or to bat down the order. But again, there is no confirmation about this, only the squad listing.

This doesn’t mean that teams should have to give a full lineup when picking their squad, and plans can change. But some plans are firmer than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind drew fan interest, it would do no harm to confirm where those two players are due to bat. Some uncertainty in life is a good thing, but creating it out of the broadly obvious is needless. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, transparency is crucial.