🔗 Share this article

One might speculate whether the Australian cricket board deliberately prefers to be opaque about team selection or simply has a deficiency in public relations, but once again, the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI must be inferred from the 14-player squad announcement for the second Ashes Test.

Normally, an unchanged squad would not be much news, but on this occasion it is, due to the anticipated changes involving both key players, neither of which has now eventuated.

Cummins is the surprise for his omission, with the regular captain and fast-bowling leader deep into his recovery from early signs of a stress fracture. The only public acknowledgment was a cursory line with the team announcement stating that Cummins is scheduled to go 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 probable return to the team in the near future. Theoretically, he might still be added to the Brisbane 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 last month, initiating the countdown on his return to play, 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 close to full intensity 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 his home city 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, 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 bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Additionally, there are eight more days of rest between matches. 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, athletes might take care. What’s strange is that during the high-profile Ashes contest in the season, the board officials seem not to think it reasonable to share updates about the skipper’s condition 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 Perth during two paltry fielding innings, keeping Australia’s usual opener from playing his role in the match and from having any influence when he eventually batted. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact he’d not experienced them before surely leaves some risk that they might recur in the heat of the next Test.

With Khawaja in the squad logically means he is due to resume the top order, even though Travis Head made a record-setting century in his place. He wouldn’t be selected as a backup or to play lower. But again, there is no confirmation about this, just the selection.

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 considering how Head’s whirlwind captured public attention, it would cause no issue to confirm where both batsmen are slotted to play. Some uncertainty in sports is a good thing, but manufacturing it out of the clearly evident is unnecessary. If you’re in the business of engaging fans, communication goes a long way.