English cricket has plumbed some pretty low depths in its time but defeat by Pakistan at The Oval this afternoon — and elimination from the World Twenty20 barely 48 hours into the tournament — would surely set a new level of ignominy that may not be beaten until the Afghans, or Eskimos, visit Lord’s.

Even with their disastrous showing at the 1999 World Cup, which they also hosted, England lasted until the 17th day of competition, if not until the release of Dave Stewart’s official World Cup song.

The portents are not good. Today’s weather forecast is shaky and only a win will do against opponents who are more talented than the Dutch and have an equally carefree, nothing-to-lose attitude. Pakistan have been deprived of so much cricket of late because of the security crisis surrounding their country and they are simply grateful to be back in the thick of the action again. They are also rebuilding their side and possess some gifted teenagers who won’t die wondering.

Twenty20 cricket is for daredevils and risk-taking isn’t in the Anglo-Saxon genes. Without Kevin Pietersen and Graeme Swann, England played a cautious game, while the Dutch were bold and brave.

Only England could bat 20 overs against a minnow such as Holland and not once clear the ropes. Only England’s fieldsmen could, at the first whiff of grapeshot from Dutch guns, hang back and leave gaps big enough for the batsmen to scamper twos. The Dutch arguably should have won more easily but were afflicted by nerves in the closing stages.

Time and again, England have sniffed at multinational events such as these, whether it is World Cups lasting 50 overs or 20, or the Indian Premier League. But until now they have avoided slipping on banana skins of this magnitude. Picking Adil Rashid, a novice who has appeared in only eight Twenty20s for his county, ahead of Swann was a foolish gamble, while omitting Dimitri Mascarenhas, one of the squad’s few big hitters, left England short of artillery. After Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright had given them a flying start, England mustered just 60 from their last 52 balls.

This was a game England never thought they would lose. They underestimated their opponents and as it dawned that they had a thriller on their hands, their minds seized up. If they thought they were improving their chances in the Ashes by operating a squad system, they must think again. Nothing will sharpen the smell of blood in the Australian shark more than England crashing out of a big tournament.

Pietersen’s fitness is a concern. He had more treatment yesterday and will be given a fitness test today. Andy Flower, the team director, said he might play against Pakistan while conceding Achilles problems can linger for months. Flower took medical advice about whether Pietersen should be rested before the Ashes and was told it was not necessary. “Having a three-week rest might not necessarily do the business,” he added. “It is an extended period of three or four months that is needed.” Meanwhile, no date has yet been set for Andrew Flintoff’s return for Lancashire, raising the prospect that he might not be ready for the first Test. England must hope several Australians strained their sides laughing at Friday’s upset.

Salting English wounds, the Dutch fielded a fair dinkum Aussie of their own in Dirk Nannes, who qualified to play for Holland through his Dutch parentage. “Every Aussie loves to beat the Poms,” he said. “This was the most amazing sporting experience I’ve been part of. Every nick seemed to find a gap. Everything came off.” Nannes’s swift left-arm bowling was an important factor and England can expect more of the same today in Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir and new boy Mohammad Aamer.

The one spark of imagination England have shown is Paul Collingwood’s idea that right-armers Stuart Broad and James Anderson could stifle scoring behind square on the leg side by going round the wicket and slanting the ball across towards first slip in the fashion of the left-armers who have proved so successful in Twenty20. Broad almost saved England’s skin with this strategy in a good last over only marred by his own slapstick fielding. He had three run-out opportunities and dropped a sharp return catch. Had one of these efforts produced a wicket, England might have won.

After his mauling at the hands of Yuvraj Singh at the last World Twenty20, Broad might be forgiven for hating this event. But Flower had no doubt Broad would stay strong. “Stuart is brilliant under pressure. For a young man, he is outstanding. He’s courageous and I have tons of respect for him. I won’t have to do anything to pick him up. He’ll pick himself up.”

But Broad’s throw at the stumps off the last delivery, when he could have ensured a tie (and a super-over bowl-out England might have won) by hanging on to the ball, highlighted his immaturity and the failure of others to back up. Questions must also be asked as to whether such pedestrian movers as Ryan Sidebottom, Rob Key and Owais Shah can be accommodated in the same XI.