Brendon McCullum had a simple response when asked how important it was for his England Test pioneers to have fun.

‘It’s everything,’ said the England coach who has somehow, along with captain Ben Stokes, transformed a team that had won just once in 17 Tests into serial, intoxicating and highly entertaining winners. ‘Otherwise, what’s the point of doing it?

‘We get one crack at life. If you’ve got skill in something, and some aspirations and dreams, why would you not want to try to live them out and have a smile on your face while you’re doing it?

‘Test cricket is such a difficult game and these guys have so many options now around the world that this is about being able to create memories, relationships and friendships which will last well beyond your career.

‘It’s not always going to be rosy but the one thing you can do is keep trying to bring that positive attitude and belief and try to look after one another.’

McCullum, resplendent in his England training kit, was addressing a curious media on his return to his native land for a two-Test series that will see him employ methods created and nurtured in Dunedin that are revolutionising English and world Test cricket.

England have won nine of their 10 Tests, the first three against New Zealand, since McCullum strode into Lord’s last year on a mission to save the greatest form of the game, seemingly by eschewing any fear of failure and telling everyone to express themselves.

Too simplistic? Well, there have been plenty of captains and coaches who wanted to play positive cricket but none have made a start like this, any remaining doubts about the authenticity of ‘Bazball’ disappearing with that 3-0 victory in Pakistan.

McCullum, who hates that term because he wants to give all credit to the players, admitted even he has been surprised with how well it has gone since he accepted Rob Key’s invitation to give up franchise coaching and commentary and throw in his lot with England.

‘The guys have been amazing,’ he said. ‘I knew England had good players but I didn’t realise they were this good. And I knew the skipper would be good but I didn’t realise he’d be this good.

‘The way the players have responded to Ben’s leadership and all the environment changes we’ve tried to make, stripping a little bit of the formality out of things, has been outstanding.

‘Success helps but one of the proudest moments we’ve had so far was the way we bounced back from defeat by South Africa. If you were in the dressing room at Lord’s you would not have known we had just lost. It was the way the skipper spoke afterwards, the way the guys stuck together. That allowed us to hit back without any baggage.’

England’s approach at the start of this tour has epitomised the McCullum approach. First came a few days golf and relaxation in Arrowtown – ‘it wasn’t quite Queenstown because that’s a party place,’ smiled McCullum – followed by three days practice and just a two-day warm-up game ahead of next week’s first Test under lights in Mount Maunganui. On Saturday rather than being on a cricket ground McCullum will be at the nearby Te Rapa track where his horse Defibrillate is one of the favourites in the big grade one race.

Even the first day here in Hamilton was cut short with 20 overs still to bowl, England deciding against any more practice against the pink ball or the chance to bowl with it in twilight. ‘I think we got out of it what we wanted to in regards preparation,’ said McCullum.

‘The ball is going to swing and it’s going to be difficult under lights. Do you want to expose yourself to that? Do you not? Does it matter? We’ll find out I suppose.’

There have already been signs that other teams will try to copy England’s all-action approach – there were a couple of imaginative declarations in Pakistan’s subsequent series against New Zealand – but, interestingly, McCullum is not convinced he wants everyone to follow suit. ‘I quite like the contrasts as well,’ he said.

‘It’s like heavyweight fighters with different styles and that’s what makes a great fight. From our point of view this is what gives us our best chance with the talent we have. And hopefully we can add a layer of consistence over time.

‘But I’d be wary to see everyone play the same way because you can lose a bit of romance as well. We’ll try and do our thing and we’ll leave other stuff up to the others.’

So where does the journey end? McCullum said Stokes has some ‘lofty aims’ for this England side. What does that mean? A return to No1 Test team in the world? Win the World Test Championship? Typically of the man, it is a bit more simple than that.

‘Not really,’ added McCullum. ‘The aim is just not to stymie talent. Let it come out. Create an environment where it’s enjoyable, where you want to turn up to work have a good time and be the best version of yourself. Push the boundaries of what you’re capable of achieving as a cricketer and hopefully the results follow. That’s our focus.

‘What’s the point of looking at it any other way? Life can be pretty miserable so you may as well try to put a positive spin on it. You’ll let yourself down occasionally and may not achieve all you want but surely you’ve got more chance with that clarity and positivity?’

It’s hard to argue so far.