It was the first time the skipper had spoken on the subject since former New Zealand allrounder Cairns was found not guilty of perjury charges at Southwark Crown Court.
McCullum was a prosecution witness in the trial but, after more evidence emerged, IPL founder Lalit Modi is considering a civil case to regain lost monies from Cairns, who had successfully sued him in 2012 for a libellous tweet accusing him of match fixing.
While McCullum, sporting his trademark grin and looking as convincing as his batting stint in the recent Australian series, yesterday played bat/pad and urged the media to focus on cricket, the reality remains it remains a "pretty big deal" in not just New Zealand cricket but globally.
Whether his reputation remains intact in the game of numbers pertaining to witnesses at the bygone trial is a moot point but what can we make of the image of the code in this country and abroad?
Regrettably anytime McCullum runs on to the park - never mind whether he asks for middle and leg before going berserk with the bat - he is now entrenched as the face of turmoil.
As captain he'll be at the forefront of whispers and conjecture on who said what to who in what started off as an international impasse between Cairns and Modi but has now become a full-blown domestic problem of fruit-fly proportions.
It's imperative to understand this isn't about the test series against Sri Lanka starting today.
Neither is it about McCullum belligerently playing the "aggressive card", seemingly to whet fans' appetite, nor about Martin Guptill's pursuit of relief from another El Nino season of runs after a cameo appearance at the ODI World Cup.
It is about how the public will perceive the sport, not only in New Zealand but overseas.
That today's test match has turned into a 30-second pitch report is, in itself, the overwhelming evidence that allegations and counter allegations in the courtroom will continue to overshadow Black Caps' performances in the sporting arena.
Uncomfortable silences, for several years, have dogged the New Zealand team up to yesterday.
The case has not only detracted from the sport but also caused divisions between former buddies Cairns and McCullum and also thrust the who's who of Kiwi cricket, such as Daniel Vettori, Stephen Fleming, Shane Bond and Kyle Mills, into the fray.
Even New Zealand Cricket head honcho David White wasn't spared, finding himself in the courtroom rejecting suggestions from the defence counsel.
You see, it's not so much whether McCullum "feels comfortable" about swatting back meaningless throw downs at press conferences. It's whether those who own the sport - that is the fans - can live with the association of turmoil every time a coin is tossed.
Kane Williamson can always assume the mantle of leadership with Ross Taylor handy in the slip cordon if anyone fumbles.
