It’s no surprise England coach Brendon McCullum doesn’t have a problem with James Anderson missing the start of this tour to play golf in Scotland.

Yet it is an oddity that a seam attack without a single Test cap between them in Pakistan were unable to tap into Anderson’s knowledge in person before the start of the series.

McCullum bristled at suggestions that an attack of Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson for the series opener that starts in Multan on Monday lacked experience.

“[Steve] Harmison, [Matthew] Hoggard and [Andrew] Flintoff weren’t available so we went with what we think is a really exciting, varied attack,” came the reply.

But what about Anderson, the man who has taken on the role of England’s bowling coach since retiring from international cricket in July? His input has been invaluable since then. Yet his decision to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews means he won’t arrive in Multan until day two of the opening Test on Tuesday.

He may be on a part-time contract but wouldn’t it have been better for the most prolific seamer in Test history to begin his first overseas tour as a coach from the very start, especially with the lack of experience in these conditions of the current players?

“In the world we live in now the communication is easy, right?” McCullum insisted.

“So he’s been in regular contact with the guys and it’s an incredible sign that two months after taking up a role in the coaching staff everyone’s desperately missing him.

“We have no concerns Jimmy is over there swinging the clubs. I actually thought he’d miss the cut so he’d get here earlier but he’s playing a little bit better. For us it’s not an issue whatsoever.

“The communication’s there and we look forward to him joining us and bringing a little bit more enthusiasm talking us through his golf swing. But he’s doing a great job. It’s a really impressive development from him to go from playing to be in a position where he’s delivering so much for us.

“I’m not worried at all. Jimmy has been a great resource for us. Two months ago you guys were saying that he didn’t deserve to be a coach just yet and now it’s sort of like we’re missing him.

“He’ll be here on day two or whenever it is and I don’t have any concerns over it. It’s a combined decision amongst everyone. He’s on as a bowling consultant as well, he’s not on a full-time contract and we’ll take what we can get when we can get it.

“I think if he was at home with his family I’d question whether anyone would have any problems with it. But because he’s playing golf there’s some uncertainty around it.”

Golf has become such a way of life for England’s players under McCullum that every time one of the few non-golfers gets dropped – Ben Foakes for example – it is suggested that is part of the reason why they fell out of favour.

It isn’t just the Test squad though. Remember England going down swinging – their golf clubs, naturally – as their 50-over World Cup campaign in India went up in flames last autumn?

England’s team hotel in Multan is home to the best golf course in the region. And why not? There aren’t many other things to do to pass the time in a city where the security presence for visiting journalists, let alone the players, is suffocating.

When England won here two years ago during their 3-0 series whitewash of Pakistan, it was December and a lot cooler.

But with temperatures ratcheting up above 40°C from the weekend, might the players’ golfing be restricted in the build-up to next week’s second Test at the same venue?

“It’s rocking hot for a start compared to what 20°C I think it was last time we came here,” McCullum said.

“The first couple of days we got here, actually, when we were out on the golf course, it was very hot, very challenging to hold on to your club. So that was one of our biggest concerns. But since then, we seem to have got used to it.

“So it’s acknowledging that and trying to do all the right things in terms of keeping guys’ core temperatures down and ready to get out there. But we’re confident we’ll get that under control.”

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McCullum also heaped words of praise on captain Ben Stokes after he failed to recover from a torn hamstring in time for the first Test.

But in doing so he made it sound like he will struggle to play in any of these three Tests against Pakistan.

“I’ve never seen a professional athlete train as hard as what he is trying to get himself back and ready for this Test series after his injury,” he said.

“He’s really exceeded expectations. I think most human beings wouldn’t have been anywhere near the series, but just through his sheer tenacity and enthusiasm to want to lead this team, he pushed himself to the limit and we always had that hope on the line that he’d be available for this first Test match.

“But we’re also realistic, and we know how big a player he is across English cricket, and it wasn’t really a risk worth taking this instance, but we’ll assess him after this Test and see where he’s at.”