Why the unnecessary mystery from Australia over Cummins and Khawaja for the second Test? | Geoff Lemon

One could speculate as to whether Cricket Australia consciously prefers to be opaque in terms of player availability and team plans, or whether it simply has a lapse in communication, but again, the suitability of the players and the composition of the eleven must be inferred from selection in the larger 14-player squad for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Normally, a board appointing an unchanged team would not be much news. This time it does, thanks to the potential both-way movement of Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has happened yet.

Cummins is the surprise for not being included with the regular captain and fast bowling leader deep into his recovery from the early signs of a stress fracture in his back. The only public acknowledgment of the situation was a cursory line on the squad’s release stating that “Pat Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations”.

Suggestions from within CA support the view that this is all normal and that his recovery thankfully remains on track, as a likely addition to the team in the near future. In theory, Cummins could even join the Brisbane squad in the coming days if he and the management so choose. But still, something the claims are not true.

Coming back to the moment Cummins’ scans were cleared in October, with the clock starting to run on his build-up to stay fit, all the public commentary from the bowler himself and CA’s timelines suggested he would narrowly miss the first Test, which was scheduled to train with the team at near full capacity during the match. Coach Andrew McDonald said: “He’ll be bowling in Perth, and people will be sitting there wondering why he’s not playing.”

Once Cummins arrived back in Sydney after watching his team’s raw two-day win out west, he was seen bowling in the New South Wales nets without any apparent restriction and, most notably, using a pink Kookaburra ball in what one would assume was preparation for the day-night Test in Brisbane.

So why this change of plans, more than a month after Cummins said he would need four weeks to build up bowling loads, and with six days until the first ball in Brisbane? Not to mention another eight days’ rest between Brisbane and the third test in Adelaide. If the latter is Cummins’ destination, it will be more than seven weeks before he resumes bowling.

That in itself is fine: forecasts can change, the medical staff can be conservative, players can be cautious. It’s just curious that, in the middle of the most anticipated and closely watched Test series on the Australian calendar, the governing body’s representatives don’t seem to think it’s reasonable to share any information about the captain’s suitability and availability or the changing nature of either.

And while caution is the key with Cummins, the opposite is true with Khawaja’s back injury. He suffered spasms in Perth during two measly fielding innings, meaning Australia’s usual opener failed to do so in both innings and had no impact whatsoever as he batted through the order. Even if his symptoms have subsided, the fact that he has not experienced them before certainly leaves a risk that they could reoccur during the next Test.

With Khawaja in the side, that logically means he will resume opening the batting, even though Travis Head has posted a record century in his place in Perth. Khawaja would not be picked as a reserve or to abolish the order. But again, there is no official information about this, only the selection.

This doesn’t mean teams have to give up an entire XI when choosing their squad, and plans are subject to change. But some plans are more solid than others, and given the way Head’s whirlwind has captured public attention, it wouldn’t hurt to confirm where these two players will be working. A little mystery in life is good, but making it up from the obvious is unnecessary. If you want to win over your audience, communication can go a long way.