England’s shaky start to the T20 World Cup has offered more evidence that the failing regime of Brendon McCullum is running out of road.

The 30-run hammering by the West Indies in Mumbai on Wednesday should not be terminal for England’s tournament hopes.

Winning their final two group games, against Scotland and Italy in Kolkata, should be enough to see them through to the Super Eights.

Yet, so soon after Harry Brook’s team flirted with humiliation in their four-run win against Nepal, nothing can be taken for granted.

Indeed, such was the one-sided nature of this defeat that England find themselves third in Group C, behind the Scots on net run rate ahead of their clash on Saturday.

Defeat then would probably eliminate Brook’s men in the first round – an unthinkable prospect even in this grimmest of winters.

Even if they do make it, there is little confidence they will progress from a Super Eight group likely to contain Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

In a winter that has been scarred by the 4-1 Ashes debacle in Australia, England were again exposed by poor bowling, fielding and batting. Set 197 to win, the collapse from 74 for 1 in the seventh over to 166 all out in the 19th was just another example of a group of players led by all-format coach McCullum folding when the pressure was on.

They hardly covered themselves in glory with the ball either, only Adil Rashid’s excellent four-over spell of 2 for 16 preventing the West Indies from breaching 200 on a flat surface.

No other bowler went at less than eight runs an over, the Windies smashing 180 from the 16 that weren’t bowled by England’s evergreen leg-spinner.

After a morale-boosting tour of Sri Lanka, where ODI and T20 series were won, it seemed England had regained some confidence after their Ashes ordeal in Australia.

Indeed, while this is a different group, with only four Ashes players involved in this match, there was hope this T20 team would do well in a tournament that has few favourites, outside co-hosts India.

Instead, as so often this winter, they have failed to turn up when faced with opponents with any semblance of quality or spirit.

Make no mistake, England have the easiest group thanks to a kind draw and the political machinations that led to Bangladesh being replaced by Scotland after they refused to travel to India.

Failing to progress is unthinkable. Yet this defeat has damaged their run rate and, with T20 being the format most ripe for shocks, England are vulnerable.

After all, Scotland had the better of their last meeting, at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, a match that was ultimately declared a no-result because of rain.

That we are even talking about the unthinkable says much.

They say a fish rots from the head and, in McCullum, England have a coach whose standing has plummeted this winter, for a multitude of reasons. Unlike the Ashes, poor preparation cannot be blamed.

But sloppy performances when the heat is on – indicative of a regime that has been way too loose for too long – remains.

McCullum is likely to be sacked regardless of how England do in this World Cup and these results and performances do not help his cause. Add in the off-field issues – including the attempted cover-up of Brook’s altercation with a bouncer at the start of the winter in New Zealand – and the evidence against McCullum is stacking up.

On the eve of this match, Jos Buttler praised the New Zealander, telling the world: “There is stuff that goes on behind closed doors you guys aren’t party to. Everyone in the dressing room knows the truth.”

Yet the truth about McCullum appears to be getting clearer by the day – he just isn’t up to the job any more.