New England test coach Brendon McCullum insisted he wouldn't be shying away from helping out some of his former teammates, when he leads his team into battle against the Blackcaps next month.
Last week, McCullum was appointed to help lift England out of its red-ball slump - which has seen them win just one of their past 17 matches - starting with a three-test series against New Zealand.
The former three-format NZ captain admitted the somewhat awkward dynamic of trying to beat the team he represented for 14 years - which is still filled with several close friends - would take some getting used to. But despite being on the other side of the fence, he'd still be willing to cross battle lines and provide advice where he could.
"I'm incredibly patriotic in regards to my own country and no doubt it's going to be a little bit uncomfortable as well," he said.
"It doesn't mean I won't still have a sympathetic ear to any of those players within the side. For instance, Kane Williamson or Tim Southee - I'll still look to help them out to a degree because if they play well, we should have to put in ourselves to play better to beat them and that's just the mentality.
"It'll be interesting. I won't shy away from that and I'm looking forward to the challenge… I know if we play well and we're able to simplify our gameplan and play the basics of what we're trying to achieve, then the series should be an absolute cracker."
McCullum believes ensuring his side play an attractive brand of cricket will be crucial to keeping the format alive.
Renowned for a bold approach at the crease during his decorated career as a player, McCullum hopes to inject a similar attitude within the English test side, amid the surging popularity of the limited-overs formats.
"Test cricket has always been the pinnacle for me and maybe the popularity of it has somehow trended south of late.
"If red-ball cricket is to not just sustain but to thrive, it needs England to be playing an attractive brand of Test cricket, which is competing with Australia, India, New Zealand. It's a big, lofty goal but it's what is in front of us.
"That is what enthused me, if we can get that right, to get England back to where they - where we - should be, which is top of the pile.
"Challenging the best teams in the world, playing the brand that appeals to the next generation of talent, then we're able to get test cricket to a stage where kids are wanting to play it rather than just the short versions."
McCullum will partner with new test captain Ben Stokes to help drive that positive change, beginning with a three-test series against his former Blackcaps next month.
"If we can achieve the ambitions both [Stokes] and myself have, it's going to be a team that is certainly worth following," he added.
"Hopefully we can play that kind of entertaining - I won't say cavalier, because that's probably what other people expect us to do - cricket.
"It's a pretty simple philosophy but if we get that right, with the talent that exists in the English cricket set-up, hopefully we'll get results to go in the right direction and build something together."
This week, McCullum helped select his first squad, naming a blend of youth and experience in the 13-man group to play the first test against the Blackcaps at Lord's.
Emboldened by the return of veteran seam duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad - who were controversially dropped for the West Indies tour earlier this year - McCullum hopes he can help develop a new belief within the changing room.
"Culture's a really hard thing to define," he said. "You come up with a style of play and try to build trust in a bunch of people. And when you get to know them really well, you know what makes them tick, what motivates them, and where they're at in their lives as well.
"If you look at those two guys, they're still hungry to perform not just for themselves, but also the team. One of the messages that I'll try and get across to them is 'how big a legacy can you guys leave for the next generation?'"
The 101-test veteran said the overarching message for his new team is to embrace their challenges head on and enjoy the moment, which is an ethos he intends to apply to his own role.
"What's the saying, 'plan to live forever and live as if you'll die tomorrow'? I'm very much aware of the mortality of a coach as well," he said. "But if there's one thing I believe, it's just to try to be where your feet are. Try and enjoy the opportunity and the moment right now.
"A lot of people want things in time, and yes, you have to have an element of planning involved, but sometimes you miss the good times that you get to experience every single day as an international cricketer.
"Just enjoy the moment, immerse yourself, have a good time with the guys, and make some memories along the way."
