Brendon McCullum backs calculated revelry as England ease into Test preparations

In another era - heck, even this time last year - an England men's Test coach announcing that organising is "not one of my fortés" would be a major red flag. Yet as Brendon McCullum volunteered that fault on the first-floor decking of the team's Novotel Hotel base in Hamilton, the admission was understandable.McCullum was talking about his role as de facto tour guide for the last two weeks. He has taken his merry band of red-ball cricketers on a few excursions, notably a jaunt to Arrowtown - a watered-down Queenstown - where they stayed at a golf course to indulge their favourite pastime. "It's been busy - a lot of demands on me." Despite being lauded for his social skills and positivity, he does not back his party-planning skills.Then again, maybe he should know better. After all, we are in McCullum's manor. Particularly here in Hamilton which is 45 minutes from his home, just outside the town of Matamata. He moved here with his family in 2016, as much for the peace and quiet as relocation to manage his horse-racing business, Vermair. As it happens, he will have representation in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes on Saturday - originally down as the final day of this warm-up match against a New Zealand XI - at the Te Rapa racecourse just up the road. His horse, Defibrillate, is currently third-favourite. "It might be the favourite after the boys get on it," McCullum joked.No whip has been cracked in his nine months as Test whisperer, and nine wins out of 10 suggest no need for a change of tack. Even Wednesday's day-night out with the bat came and went without England testing themselves under lights - the reason for the 2pm starts was to replicate the conditions they will encounter in next Thursday's pink-ball opener in Mount Maunganui. So what, McCullum shrugged."The ball's 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."Since arriving at the end of January, there have been four days of training in Mount Maunga