The finest Australian cricketer of our generation was slapping cement and fixing bricks to build a home for Beby Tatyaba Kakre in Malvali village near Lonavla on Wednesday.

Perched on a ladder as he worked on laying the roof, Steven Waugh was at the site, located between Mumbai and Pune, for the last three days.

Along with a team of 2,000 volunteers from around the world, the former Australia captain who is involved with charity work in India, went about his work with silent concentration -- much like his batting.

Stopping briefly only for some photographs, Waugh made it known that he was in the village to build homes, and that's pretty much what he did under a blazing sun.

He is expected to work at the site till the end of the week, when the 100 homes that are being constructed will be ready.

Organised by Habitat for Humanity under the Jimmy Carter Work Project, the initiative held annually involves volunteers who build homes with the people in need and sells the houses to them through non-profit loans.

Hollywood star Brad Pitt dropped in to do a day's work at the site on Monday.

Photograph: Dominic Xavier