Steve Waugh at Thursday evening?s chat session with the CII. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Cricketers don?t retire. Some pick up the microphone, others deal in mortar. From building innings and teams to building academies and cities, former Australian captain Steve Waugh has taken guard on a different pitch.

Waugh, reluctant to take up full-time coaching assignments post retirement, hinted on Thursday just why. Test cricket?s highest run-getter is aiming high in real estate.

?We have plans to set up a cricket city. We were in Mumbai to discuss the project with the Maharashtra chief minister and on Friday we will meet the chief minister here. We will also go to Delhi. There are a number of options, but Calcutta is a priority as it is special for me,? said Waugh, who met members of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for a chat on Thursday evening.

The blueprint, which Waugh and representatives from Macquarie Bank, his partners in the project, have drawn up involves a cricket academy, schools, houses and apartments, lifestyle and leisure opportunities.

Waugh is believed to have an equity participation in the project, just as golf great Greg Norman.

?We want to build it along the lines of the golf city that we have developed in association with Greg Norman,? said Tom Fehon, executive director, head of golf and leisure, Macquarie Bank, which manages real estate property worth $ 26 billion across the globe.

A six-member team, including Waugh, Fehon, Stephen Girdis, Sue Craftter, Nina Iraninejad and Bob Stephenson, is touring India meeting government representatives and scouting potential partners.

?We will be tying up with a local partner. We have met a number of them and the response is very positive,? said Fehon, bullish about the commercial viability of the idea, Waugh?s integrity and business acumen.

Though he did not elaborate on the investments, he said a similar project in ?the US will not cost less than $ 100 million?.

?I am keen on doing business and the cricket city is just one of them. I have other plans in mind as well,? revealed Waugh.

It was not all business and no charity for the champion cricketer. As he mingled with businessmen and socialites, Waugh made it a point to mention his commitment towards Udayan, the home for children of leprosy sufferers. ?I need your help and I will get in touch with you,? said Waugh as CII eastern regional chairman Ravi Poddar introduced him to Sanjay Budhia.

Though the man who played the maximum number of matches has not touched a cricket bat since his retirement ? ?I am busy writing a book and my children need time from me? ? he was game for questions and remarks on cricket, football, hockey and tennis.

?Yes, I know. She is playing well,? said Waugh as Akhtar Ali started talking about Sania Mirza. Then, it was football with Chuni Goswami and hockey with Gurbux Singh.

Then it was time for a Subhas Chakraborty announcement. ?The government is setting up a sports city and golf course in Rajarhat and Steve Waugh will be our adviser,? said the sports minister.

?I did not know this. But it is a good news for the city,? declared Waugh.