Swann flattered by Warne's praise in Ashes build-up

Thirty-one-year-old Swann has been a late-blossoming talent in international terms, to the point where he is currently ranked the world's best spinner.

That elevation has come about after a near eight-year hiatus between his one-day international debut and his return to the England ranks, following the era of Duncan Fletcher as coach.

Swann himself acknowledges the advent of the decision review system has been a huge help to spinners of all types.

For orthodox off-break bowlers like him, clear and respected video evidence to support hundreds of lbw appeals which might otherwise have gone unanswered has changed the game forever.

As for the compliments coming his way from Warne – he curiously likened him to former Baywatch patriarch David Hasselhoff – at a time when Swann is being touted by many as the 'key' to this winter's Ashes in Australia, he admits to being a little perplexed as well as delighted.

"Of course it's pleasing, coming from the best bowler there has ever been," he said.

"But I was rubbish when I played against Warne five years ago. It's nice that he remembers me, because I didn't give him any reason to."

For Swann, as with all of England's Ashes hopefuls, success against Australia over the next three months would be a crowning moment of their careers.

He has already discovered for sure that wickets will be hard won Down Under, having needed almost 50 overs to take five of them at the cost of 161 runs in England's victory over Western Australia.

Swann improved through the course of that match and can expect another opportunity for further progress in England's second three-day warm-up fixture against South Australia, starting in Adelaide on Thursday.

A typically true and pacy Perth pitch made life difficult for all the bowlers, none more so perhaps than Swann.

His captain Andrew Strauss was nonetheless full of praise for him afterwards.

But true to type, Swann could not resist a shrug with his opening one-liner when asked whether he thinks Australia's batsmen will have been taking note of his hard-earned success at the WACA.

"I don't really give a monkey's what the message is," he said.

"The first two days, I couldn't have felt worse. My back was stiff, I felt terrible.

"That just came from playing no cricket for six weeks," added Swann.