The Prince of Wales told cricket umpiring veteran Dickie Bird he was hoping for an upturn in the England team's fortunes when the two men met today.
Bird said he was "humbled" to meet Charles in his home town of Barnsley.
He said the royal visitor discussed cricket and the current series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates which began with a crushing defeat for England.
Bird said: "He said to me 'I'd like to see England do a lot better in this Test series'.
"I said 'I would as well'."
Charles met Bird at the statue which was erected in the middle of Barnsley in 2009 to honour the former Test umpire.
The bronze figure features the umpire's classic pose - giving a batsman out with a finger in the air.
Bird laughed as he recalled the Prince asking him whether the sculptor had got the finger the right way round.
He said: "The heir to the throne in my own town is just marvellous.
"It's a really special occasion for Barnsley. Barnsley deserves it because there are nice people in Barnsley.
"I never left the town. I was born and bred in the town and they are wonderful, wonderful people.
"It's been a great pleasure for me to meet the Prince again."
Bird said he asked Charles how the Queen was and also asked after the Duke of Edinburgh following his Christmas visit to hospital.
Bird said: "He told me he's much better."
Before meeting the 78-year-old umpire, Charles toured the Barnsley Chronicle newspaper, which was launched in the town in 1858.
The Prince was shown round the newsroom and print works.
He looked delighted when he was presented with a special commemorative supplement straight off the presses, which featured a photo of him going into the building half an hour before.
The Prince was told the paper, which has been owned by the Hewitt family since 1888, has the second highest circulation of any weekly newspaper in the UK.
Charles also visited the Barnsley campus of Huddersfield University where he met young people involved in the Prince's Trust and donors to the charity.
The Prince also chatted with recently-graduated student artists about their work.
He told his audience: "I'm so grateful to have had this rather brief opportunity to visit Barnsley today."
He confirmed it was his first visit to the town and said: "For which I can only apologise."
Charles added: "It's been an enormous pleasure."
He said he was particularly pleased to hear the stories of those involved in the Prince's Trust.
The Prince left to complete his day in Yorkshire with a visit to Wentworth Castle, near Barnsley.
The castle gardens and Stainborough Park extend over 600 acres and include historic gardens, woodland, a deer park and a collection of 26 listed buildings and monuments.
Wentworth Castle Heritage Trust has finally succeeded in bringing together the funds needed to rescue the fragile Victorian conservatory at the site and work is due to begin in the next few months.
Despite cold and wet weather, a small but determined group of well-wishers cheered the Prince as he walked between his various engagements in Barnsley town centre.
Charles stopped a number of times to chat to people behind the barriers.
The Prince started his day in Yorkshire when he stepped off a carriage pulled by a 1950s steam engine on to a railway platform in Wakefield packed with well-wishers.
Charles was unveiling the renamed Britannia steam locomotive, which has been restored from an engine originally built in 1951.
As he stepped off the train on to a cold and wet platform at Wakefield Kirkgate station, West Yorkshire, he was serenaded by a brass band playing Singing In The Rain and The Beatles classic Ticket To Ride.
Swathed in steam, he met schoolchildren waving Union flags.
Pop producer and train enthusiast Pete Waterman introduced him to young people who had worked on restoring the locomotive.
After unveiling its new name plaque, the Prince smiled, patted the locomotive and said: "Jolly good engine."
Waterman, who persuaded Charles to get involved at a Prince's Trust event, said: "He (Charles) loves steam engines, he's as much of an enthusiast as I am."
The Class 7 Locomotive No 70000 Britannia was built in 1951 in Crewe. After it was retired in 1966, it was bought by a group of enthusiasts and is now owned by Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust.
It has been overhauled again to meet Network Rail requirements and it returned to the main line last March.