Swann takes 'apparent swipe' at England teammates after announcing retirement

Graeme Swann appears to have had a swipe at some of his England teammates after sensationally retiring halfway through the Ashes series, according to reports.

According to News.com.au, with England reeling from yet another tour departure, Swann couldn't resist having a thinly veiled dig at others in the team dressing room while talking to a member of the UK press pack.

Swann was marvelling at how unexpectedly successful his career had been before he hinted that others in his vicinity might not be enjoying the same sort of perspective, the report said.

He said that some people playing the game at the minute have no idea how far up their own backsides they are and it will bite them on the arse one day and when it does he hopes they look back and are embarrassed about how they carry on.

Swann took to Twitter early Monday to criticise the journalist who reported the comments, but stopped short of denying he said them or clarifying who he had been referring to, the report added.

Swann clearly did not want to identify the players he was most disenchanted with, but in his autobiography The Breaks Are Off, published two years ago, he expressed doubts about Kevin Pietersen's leadership credentials, the report further said.

His comments raised the hackles of former England captain Michael Vaughan, who wondered on Twitter why, if complacency or arrogance existed in the English dressing room, Swann didn't do something about it, the report mentioned.