Brad Haddin says he doesn’t know why England are being talked up for the Ashes after their recent ODI series victory against New Zealand.

The series, which England won 3-2, has been referred to as one of the most significant series England has ever been involved in, but Haddin says he doesn’t get it, reports ESPNCricinfo.

‘I don’t really understand the hype around that one-day series,’ Haddin said ahead of Australia’s final warm-up match before the first Test in Cardiff.

‘We’d just come off a World Cup. I don’t understand what the excitement is about, and what this newfound form England found in that format.

‘I’m a bit puzzled by it. We’d come off the World Cup and everyone had played – it was just like they were a couple of months too late. We played them in the first game of the World Cup when it counted and the pressure was on. I don’t really understand the talk. Did they not enjoy cricket before then? I don’t know. I don’t really get where they are coming from. That might be my naivety.’

There was also some Haddin puzzlement at talk about England wanting to do away with sledging, following the example set by New Zealand. Australia’s abrasive approach during the World Cup final was largely driven by Haddin and he expected more of the same during the Ashes.

‘I don’t understand where they’re coming from with this,’ he said. ‘I don’t understand this ‘pleasant’ thing. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what I’m meant to say to it. If you could explain to me what it is.

‘We fixed that [New Zealand] in the World Cup final, didn’t we? Ashes campaigns are always played in the right spirit. Everyone’s obviously highly competitive and there has never really been any dramas with sledging. I don’t really see the need to talk about it.’