O'Brien's 50-ball 100 in the upset win over England was 16 deliveries less than the one struck by Hayden in the 2007 edition.
"Well, honestly when he said that I couldn't believe it," Hayden said, recalling his reaction after being told about O'Brien's feat.
Hayden said "it didn't sink in" that O'Brien didn't just break his record but also single-handedly powered Ireland to an unlikely win over the English, who had set the minnows a formidable target of 328.
"I explained that I was delighted for Kevin and that I wish I could get a note out to him reflecting my thoughts to that effect and ... would do so at the first convenient opportunity," Hayden said.
"This is just that opportunity." Hayden played 161 ODIs and scored 6,133 runs at an average of more than 43.
I couldn't believe that my record had been broken: Hayden
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