Ponting has also backed the lights to be turned on for state cricket for the first time at Aurora Stadium, as day-night Shield matches are set to become an annual fixture.

‘‘Why not? It’s just a great venue,’’ Ponting said during his fly-in visit from Melbourne for the Mowbray Cricket Club’s 60th anniversary celebrations on the weekend.

The Launceston City Council threw open the door on the prospect during recent talks with Cricket Tasmania that also included showcasing high-end women’s matches to fulfil better use of the 21,000-capacity stadium.

The former Australian Test captain said there was no excuse not to employ Launceston’s premier sporting venue for first-class cricket.

‘‘I got the chance to play a couple of games here a couple years ago in the Aussie 15s and it was the first time we’ve used it,’’ Ponting said.

‘‘The ground was just awesome; we had good crowds there.

‘‘I mean look out there now – it’s just a sensational stadium.’’

Ponting said Cricket Tasmania would be ‘‘crazy not to at least look at it’’ as an option for strengthening state cricket in the North.

New Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin announced in October his preference to move the Northern Tasmania Cricket Association headquarters from the NTCA ground – the country’s oldest first-class venue that dates back to 1851 – to join AFL Tasmania and AFL club Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium.

The Tasmanian Tigers  play all five of their Sheffield Shield home games out of Hobart’s Bellerive Oval.

‘‘A lot of other states now are moving their Shield games to other grounds and trying to take the game to the people rather than expecting people to come to the one ground all the time,’’ Ponting said.

‘‘At the end of the day, it comes down to the overall standard of the venue, but I can’t see how this place couldn’t cope with first-class cricket.’’

Launceston has not hosted a Tasmanian state team since a 50-over clash – a cup competition fixture that is now in the hands of Cricket Australia – back in December 2009 at the NTCA Ground.

But Ponting said Aurora Stadium would be a natural choice to host Tasmania’s first Sheffield Shield game under lights.

The rave reviews – and the return of strong crowds – for the inaugural day-night Test at Adelaide Oval strengthens the case should Cricket Australia continue their push to increase the number of state fixtures.

‘‘They play AFL footy at night, so you’d think the lighting would be good enough,’’ Ponting said.

‘‘The fact there is lights here would make it more appealing for that sort of cricket.’’