Graeme Swann's grandmother has blamed unwelcoming Australians for the spinner's sudden retirement and said something "nasty" must have happened to convince the England star to turn his back on the Ashes.
Swann quit cricket after the third Test defeat as Australia reclaimed the Ashes, ending an international career which had yielded 255 wickets for the off-spinner.
"There is something gone wrong there and I blame the Australian players. Not all the Australian players, a certain one," Mina Swann, 89, told The Journal newspaper in Newcastle.
"I do not think they have been (made) very welcome, the team. He is not easily upset, there is something nasty happened."
Mina spoke of her disappointment at her 34-year-old grandson's decision.
"He was as happy as Larry. He adored his cricket. It is a damn shame, he has lived for that game, he has done everything for that game."
BOXING DAY TEST
Australia and England will continue their preparations for the Boxing Day Ashes Test with Christmas Eve training sessions at the MCG.
The home side remains unlikely to make any team changes after reclaiming the Ashes.
England have called in two replacement spinners after veteran Graeme Swann stunned cricket by retiring on Sunday.
Leg-spinner Scott Borthwick will join the team in Melbourne and off-spinner James Tredwell will go to Sydney on standby for the fifth Test.
Monty Panesar will take Swann's place in the Test team for Melbourne.
