Cricket: Ponting owes princess a thank you

Ricky Ponting. Photo / Getty Images

Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has Crown Princess Mary of Denmark to thank for taking some of the spotlight away from what could be his last visit home as a Test player.

The question of whether Ponting is about to play his final Test at Bellerive is certain to be raised as the Australian side prepares for the second match of the series against New Zealand beginning on Friday.

The 36-year-old, who has made 39 Test hundreds, jetted into Hobart with the young Australian side on Tuesday evening.

Considered Tasmanian royalty himself, Ponting was beaten home by Princess Mary, who flew in for a private family visit less than an hour before him.

Ponting has returned to form after a lean run, backing up a half century in the second Test win over South Africa in Johannesburg with a first innings 78 in the win over the Black Caps in Brisbane earlier this week.

But with Bellerive not a permanent fixture on the Australian Test circuit, there is no guarantee Tasmania's favourite son will be back.

Injury-depleted Australia crushed NZ by nine wickets at the Gabba and will be looking for a whitewash of the two-match series as they build towards four games against India beginning with the Boxing Day Test.

Another grateful for the princess' arrival will be Australian opener Phil Hughes, who is under immense pressure to hold his place after scores of 10 and seven in the first Test.

The inclusion of South Australian Dan Christian gives selectors a chance to replace Hughes at the top of the order with No.3 Usman Khawaja.

Hughes' NSW team-mate Mitchell Starc backed the young opener to regain the form which resulted in him bursting onto the international scene in 2009.

"Hughesy's 23 and got three Test centuries so he's a very good player and I guess he's just in a bit of a slump that everyone goes through,'' the paceman said.

"I'm sure he'll come out the other end and hopefully there's some runs for him in Hobart.''

The Australian and New Zealand sides are expected to begin acclimatising to conditions in Tasmania with training on Wednesday.

- AAP