AUSTRALIAN cricketers enjoyed a secret room inside the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground where a special knock opened the door to crates of beer and wine.
Brett Lee lifted the lid on the incredible post-game ritual he and other Aussie aces used to indulge in.
GettyThe Sydney Cricket Ground has a secret room that contains beer and wine[/caption]
GettyAustralian players used to sneak off after matches and enter with a special knock[/caption]
Most fans know the SCG as one of the best stadiums in the world.
It has played host to some memorable cricket moments in front of its 48,000 supporters, including two Ashes clean sweeps.
But Australian players particularly loved the ground for its secret room.
Stars used to sneak away to the back before giving a secret signal with their bat.
That would open the door to an incredible cellar stowed behind a garage door.
And inside it held crates of beer and wine, allowing players to enjoy a well-deserved drink in peace and quiet.
Lee told the Hello Sport podcast: “At the Sydney Cricket Ground, a lot of people don’t know — (I’m) giving away a little bit of inside knowledge here.
“That inner sanctum where we feel comfortable, where there’s no press, where we can relax and just speak honestly and openly.
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Brett Lee has lifted the lid on the luxurious hideawayAFP
GettyThe Aussies toasted various successes there, including several Ashes wins[/caption]
“After the Test win at the SCG, the tradition is you’ll get a cricket bat and go thump thump thump on the floor, three taps.
“Then a few minutes later you’ll hear thump thump thump, someone from downstairs in the cellar, which means come downstairs to the cellar.
“So you walk down underneath the change rooms of the Australian players, opposite near where the race is and there’s a little garage door.
“You walk inside and it’s (tiny) so we reckon it’s Justin Langer’s house because he fits in beautifully. And there’s a door that’s been signed by every Test cricketer I think since the 1950s that’s in there.
“And it’s a cellar. So beers and wine, you get down there and have a chat with some of the ground staff and have a cold beer with them.
“I thought, ‘How good’s this Test cricket stuff’ and tradition knowing that the likes of Bradman have done it, the Allan Borders, the Merv Hughes, legends of the game.
“I probably shouldn’t be saying too much about this. (The three taps signalled) we are thirsty!
“That was a pinch myself moment. I’m looking around and I’ve got Steve and Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath.
“And here I am in the secret cellar with my heroes I watched growing up and are now teammates.”