"Hopefully they'll [the bowlers] be conditioned to get through that workload and be able to bowl consistently to get their skills right because if they have a bad spell or a few untidy overs then it'll be hard to get it back again," says Hadlee before the two-match series.
Who coach Mike Hesson and McCullum plump for to back up the Northern Districts' "terrible twins" of left-arm seamer Boult and right-armer Southee is the burning question.
"The strength of the New Zealand team is the selection philosophy where they tend to pick people who give good service," Hadlee says as Neil Wagner, Doug Bracewell and Henry are jostling for the third seaming role.
However, the 63-year-old former world-class international all-rounder sees all three bringing different level of skills.
Cantabrian Henry, he feels, is a wicket taker, CD Stag Bracewell is back in the fold and at times he has been successful, but Otago's Wagner is the bloke who has the propensity to bend his back to digest a lot of overs to complement Southee and Boult.
"It's a tough call."
Southee humiliated England by eight wickets in Wellington during a one-day World Cup pool match with 7-33 in February.
Boult, not traditionally seen as a white-ball merchant, also was in rich vein for the Kiwis who bowed out in the final to Australia.
"They complement each other well with ... their left-arm, right-arm combinations to move the ball around," Hadlee says, adding batsmen should be wary of them.
"They already have been a formidable combination and [over] time they will be our best ever, as far as opening partnerships are concerned."
Having played county cricket for a decade with Nottinghamshire, Hadlee says he enjoyed the 156g English ball which has a lacquer on it.
"Once the lacquer starts coming off you can buff the ball up and it tends to keep the shine longer than an Australian Kookaburra ball that we use here."
Swing bowlers, such as England's Jimmy Anderson, thrive with the Duke.
"Now we have a chance to do that so we should get some good results with that."
Hadlee says Anderson, 32, is approaching 400 wickets although his average, at 29.22, is on the high side for a quality new-ball bowler.
"To be one of the great bowlers you really have to be looking at having a strike rate average of potentially 20 to 25-26 so he's a little bit high but, that aside, he is a wicket-taking bowler who is nipping at pace."
Stuart Broad, who missed a sponsors' obligation while out drinking with ex-teammates Andrew Flintoff and Matt Prior, has also come under pressure to get things right.
New Zealand have won only four tests in England, going back to 1930s.
The maiden Kiwi victory came at Headingley in 1983, when, uncharacteristically, Hadlee posted the figures of none for 89 with the ball.
In 1986 he was pivotal in New Zealand's first test series victory, 1-0, there. His haul at Nottingham included 10 wickets and 68 runs with the bat.
In 1999, the Black Caps followed it up with a 2-1 series victory at The Oval and Lord's - the second of 16 series between the two nations.
"Since that time, we're talking 16 years, we haven't had a win in England so, statistically, things are against us."
What Hadlee feels is in New Zealand's favour is England exposing a soft underbelly through a transitional phase.
"On and off the field, there's controversy. The captain, Alistair Cook, is under a lot of pressure to perform and one or two players are likely to make their debut and some of the senior players haven't performed.
"Now is the time, if we are going to have some success there, to do some damage."
Hadlee says because it's the 100th test extra significance comes into play.
"To play it at Lord's is an ideal venue to make an impression so there's a lot of little asides going on to help with motivation."
Pietersen 'had to go'
England selectors have made the right decision in not selecting problem child Kevin Pietersen, according to Sir Richard Hadlee.
"I say that because team culture and team spirit are very important," Hadlee says.
The game, he emphasises, is and will always be greater than any individual.
"Players come and go. They come into a game and do what they do as players and move on. Others come and take their place."
It appears, the ICC Hall of Famer says, a breach of trust is of major significance so, consequently, Pietersen has fallen out of favour.
"It takes a long time to rebuild that trust because he's written a book and criticised a lot of things - players, administrators and all those sorts of things.
"It's pretty hard to get the trust of selectors and administrators when you've done that."
He hopes England will resolve their issues because Pietersen is a quality player.
No doubt, a grinning Hadlee accepts, it suits New Zealand not have the adroit South African-born batsman there during the two-match series against the touring Black Caps.
Some of the elite current and former cricket internationals have waded into the debate, including Australia skipper Michael Clarke who says England will be poorer for not including the 32-year-old top-order batsmen in their squad.
The hosts had a humiliating ICC World Cup 50-over exit. Their tour of West Indies this month ended in an abysmal drawn series and coach Peter Moores was sacked.
Paul Fabrace is interim coach but critics are predicting they will crumble in the Ashes series from July 8 in Britain.
