Murray boys at war as absent Andy feels full force of Jamie volley

In a surprisingly frank response to the British No 1 Andy's withdrawal from the World Group match, Jamie made clear the team's sense of abandonment and his own personal disappointment at his younger brother's no-show.

He suggested that Andy's knee problems were a convenient excuse for not making the trip and said that he had still not spoken with him about the decision, and that he had no intention of getting in touch.

Given the closeness of the two - they even live together in south west London - his words are bound to hurt as the British number one prepares for next week's run-of-the-mill ATP event in Marseilles rather than representing his country against the formidable Argentinians.

And while Jamie felt able to speak out it sounds like his sentiments are shared by others, including good friends such as team members Jamie Baker and Ross Hutchins.

"It kind of affects the way we feel about him," said Murray senior, as he and his colleagues prepared for the inevitable pounding they will take between now and Sunday.

"I think it's disappointing that he chose not to come. From what I have been reading he hasn't come out and said he's injured, it's more a prevention thing. I think if he had really wanted to push himself he could have come here.

"He obviously felt it was more important for him to concentrate on going to Marseilles and doing well rather than coming here."

Jamie then went on to say that he had no idea there was a doubt about Andy's Davis Cup participation and that he had been kept in the dark along with captain John Lloyd.

"It was a shock to me and for the team it's very disappointing. I wasn't aware he had a problem. I last spoke to him in Australia just before he left."

There will not be any conciliatory phone calls home either, by the sounds of it, and their next boys' night in at Andy's flat could be a decidedly glum affair.

"I don't see why I should go to him," said Jamie." There's not really much to say. I'm here working hard for the team and trying to do my best and he is at home doing whatever he is doing.

"From his point of view he doesn't need to apologise for it because he has taken his decision not to come for his tennis, or whatever.

"He had the ability to win two singles matches here. He is in the top ten in the world and it's not by fluke. He plays better with the crowd against him and his back is against the wall. I don't think it's that he doesn't enjoy playing in the Davis Cup.

"For us it is going to be an incredible atmosphere and we have to try and embrace the situation and do what we can."

Although Lloyd has refused to criticise Murray Jnr. - his is a difficult position as he has only one world class player - there was apparently consternation in the camp when the news came through while they were training in Chile last week.

With the Argentinians led by the bruising David Nalbandian on slow clay in front of fanatical support, Britain will struggle to avoid a record defeat in the five-rubber match.

Andy Murray's representatives emphasise that he took his decision with a heavy heart, that his knee is a constant concern and that he was strongly influenced by the fact that he has a mass of ranking points to defend on different surfaces over the hectic next two months.

But regardless of anything else, what this familial spat shows is that the British number one really needs to work on his PR and communication skills, evidently with those he is close to as much as the wider world.

Being single-minded is not a crime - actually a necessity in tennis - but a phone call to his captain or colleagues would not have been asking too much, and the manner of his withdrawal has clearly exacerbated the situation.

There is also acute annoyance within the Lawn Tennis Association, who have funded him handsomely, that he has continued to use their facilities at Roehampton in the last week without so much as a personal word of explanation.

He has left his team-mates to it, and on Tuesday here they got a taste of what lies in store when 400 locals turned up and noisily watched them practice. "What they were saying was not exactly "Welcome to our lovely country'," smiled Lloyd.