England look to put off-field troubles behind them

LONDON (Web Desk) - England's dismal Ashes tour left Brendon McCullum's position as head coach under significant scrutiny and this T20 World Cup could dictate his future. Six players who featured in the 4-1 Test series defeat to Australia are in the squad for this event including Harry Brook, who took over the white-ball captaincy last year and was lucky to keep it after a late-night altercation with a bouncer outside a nightclub in New Zealand. Brook's latest public apology only managed to turn the spotlight onto England's management and their attempted cover-up.

The off-field doom and gloom threatens to obscure the fact that England have consistently been among the world's best T20 teams over the past decade. They are the only team to have reached at least the semi-finals of the last four World Cups, one of three teams to have won the tournament twice, and their recent results are hugely impressive. Under Brook's leadership, they have stuck to a simple formula -- a deep batting line-up and a spin-heavy bowling attack -- with success, most notably when romping to a record-breaking 304 for 2 against South Africa in September.

They should cruise through the group stages easily enough in India, but the Super 8s will be a much tougher challenge. They are seeded to play in Sri Lanka in the second round, and their semi-final hopes will rely on them playing spin in a far more convincing manner than they did throughout their 4-1 thrashing in India 12 months ago - and in Tuesday night's comeback win in Pallekele. From there? Anything is possible.

Ten wins and a single defeat in their last 11 completed games leading into Sunday's game against Nepal in Mumbai - and the loss was a rain-reduced farce on a miserable night in Cardiff.

Phil Salt has taken his T20 game to a new level in recent years and forms half of a consistent, destructive opening partnership with Jos Buttler, England's greatest-ever in this format. Both players have extensive IPL experience - Buttler in particular - and it is hard to see England going deep in this World Cup without at least one of them having a strong run of form.

Jacob Bethell underlined his prodigious talent with a maiden Test century at the SCG in early January and will have a vital role to play in the middle order at what is his first senior ICC event, after he missed last year's Champions Trophy through injury. Liam Dawson, by contrast, has been to plenty of World Cups before as an unused squad member or a reserve, but will finally get a chance to play this time around as England pack their side with spin options.

England's squad is relatively young with three notable exceptions: Buttler and Dawson, who are both 35, and 37-year-old Adil Rashid. T20 is becoming an old man's game and Rashid in particular shows no signs of slowing down, but it will surely be a stretch for any of them to make it to Australia in late 2028.