Steve Smith pictured alone in New York

WHILE his former teammates were being embarrassed by the arch-enemy in England, the one man who might have been able to save the Australian cricket team was forlornly nursing a beer alone in a dingy New York bar.

WHILE his former teammates were being embarrassed by the arch-enemy in England, the one man who might have been able to save the Australian cricket team was forlornly nursing a beer in a dingy New York bar.

Captain-in-exile Steve Smith was spotted in the Big Apple after doing some window shopping at real estate agents as he gets ready for a match of an altogether different calibre.

Former skipper Steve Smith checks his phone while having a drink in the Nancy Whiskey Pub. Picture: Backgrid

The world’s greatest batsman, banned from top-class cricket for his role in the infamous South African ball-tampering scandal, will now ply his trade a world away from the storeyed grounds of the SCG and Lord’s when he pitches up for the Toronto Nationals in the fledgling Global T20 competition, which begins in Canada on Thursday.

According to Cricket Australia, Smith was “taking a couple of days there adjusting to the time zone”, but a witness said he appeared to be taking advantage of the break to indulge in some real estate research.

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Steve Smith out and about in New York. Picture: Backgrid

Smith, 28, is used to the lonely walk back to the pavilion and he cut a desolate figure as he spent several hours looking around the celebrity-studded West Village neighbourhood.

“It was an absolute shock to see the former Aussie cricket captain all by himself,” an Australian who spotted Smith out and about said.

“He looked quite sad and lonely, and it’s a good thing he had his phone otherwise he would have had no contact with anyone.”

After scoping real estate, Smith headed to a three-hour evening get together at the same building where Aussie acting royalty Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-lee Furness share a penthouse apartment with their children.

According to a Cricket Australia spokesman, Smith dined with Jackman to discuss the former skipper’s involvement with the charity Gotcha4Life – the organisation through which Smith has been completing community work. Jackman is a board member of the charity.

“They met to discuss Steve’s involvement in the charity and further opportunities,” a Cricket Australia spokesman said.

On his way there, Smith had appeared to conduct some property research in the West Village, according to a witness.

“Steve made an obvious effort to go and look at various residential buildings as he walked to Hugh and Deb’s,” the onlooker said.

“He didn’t take a direct walking route, he went out of his way to look at several buildings as though he specifically wanted to check them out.

“When he got to the building he wanted to see he would look at his phone for several seconds, then back up at the building.

“It was like he had the info on his phone about the building he wanted to check.

“Whilst on the roundabout walk to Hugh and Deb’s place he also passed by several real estate vendors and he would look into the windows at the available properties as he walked by.

“It was like he was checking out the area as a place to live.”

However, the Cricket Australia spokesperson said: “Steve is not looking for property in New York at all.”

Steve Smith has been window shopping at real estate agents in New York. Picture: Backgrid

Steve Smith pictured in New York. Picture: Backgrid

Later, he walked more than 3km to trendy Tribeca, battling other barflies for a single stool at well-known Irish dive-bar, Nancy Whiskey Pub, drinking three pints of beer and feverishly checking his phone.

Smith remained anonymous at the Irish pub, with drinkers seemingly unaware they had a millionaire sportsman in their midst.

“It was quite raucous but all the fun was happening around him and there was loud rock music playing,” a witness said.

“Steve seemed to be content with just himself for company though.”

Steve Smith’s girlfriend Dani Willis is living it up in Italy.

Dani Willis has been posting on Instagram from Italy.

Many thought things couldn’t get worse for the Australian cricket team when Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were each suspended over “Sandpapergate” but they reckoned without the team’s ability to plum new depths of humiliation.

On Sunday Australia slumped to a humiliating 5-0 defeat in the one-day series against England — the first time the Poms have ever sealed a whitewash.

But with their country desperate for anything to lift the gloom, Smith and Warner will be padding up in the cricket hotbed of Canada.

Smith will join his former teammate Warner — who jetted out from Sydney yesterday — in the Canadian competition­.

Former vice-captain Warner, the supposed architect of the ball-tampering disaster, will play with the Winnipeg Hawks for the inaugural tournament.

Steve Smith enjoys a solo drink while in New York. Picture: Backgrid

Smith is no stranger to New York having travelled there to join his fiancee Dani Willis in Manhattan in the wake of the ball-tampering saga.

Ms Willis wasn’t with him to check out the Big Apple real estate scene, having headed to Italy for a holiday with a girlfriend, where she is currently living it up on the Amalfi Coast. She has spent the week posting on Instagram from the $600-a-night Palazzo Avino hotel, which boasts a Michelin-star restaurant and a seaside pool.

Smith and Willis will marry in September and he has publicly thanked her for her support in his recent tough times.

Originally published as Steve Smith pictured alone in New York