AFP/Melbourne

The off-spinner stunned the sport by announcing his immediate retirement from all forms of cricket following England’s defeat to Australia in the Ashes.

But the 34-year-old is not going quietly. “Some people playing the game at the minute have no idea how far up their own backsides they are,” Swann said in comments carried by the Daily Telegraph.

“It will bite them on the arse one day and when it does I hope they look back and are embarrassed about how they carry on,” the paper quoted him as saying.

Swann did not identify the players he was most disenchanted with, but in his autobiography ‘The Breaks Are Off’, published two years ago, he doubted Kevin Pietersen’s credentials as a captain.

Pietersen was “never the right man to captain England”, Swann wrote — a position the batsman held only briefly before he and former coach Peter Moores lost their jobs at the start of 2009.

However, Swann yesterday denied he was referring to any of his current England teammates. Former England captain Michael Vaughan and ex-English player Derek Pringle were among those who were convinced that Swann was referring to current members of the side.

But Swann, who last week was forced to apologise for a “crass and offensive” comment after he compared the third Ashes Test loss to Australia to being “raped,” again took to social media to deny the claims.

“Don’t jump to conclusions Vaughney. I wasn’t talking about the England dressing room or anyone in it. You too bbc,” Swann tweeted.

In another post, Swann took aim at Pringle with: “just because Derek Pringles writes something I find it astonishing that people buy into it?! Making stuff up sells papers I suppose.”

Swann is behind only Derek Underwood as England’s most prolific wicket-taking spinner with 255 victims in 60 Tests.