West Australian allrounder Hilton Cartwright thought he was going to cop a scolding from one of his coaches earlier this week when he saw his phone ring.
Instead, it was selection chairman Trevor Hohns on the other end informing him of his call-up for Australia's three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting on December 4.
"I was expecting maybe one of the coaches saying I was late to training or something," Cartwright said on Wednesday.
"I was a bit worried about that.
"But when I saw who was on the other end, I thought, 'What could this be about?'. Sure enough, when he broke the news to me, I was stoked.
"I was pretty shocked, pretty surprised. It was awesome - a good feeling."
Cartwright, who has played 14 Sheffield Shield and 27 domestic one-day games, was the bolter in Australia's 14-man squad named on Wednesday.
Like Middlesbrough-born Matt Renshaw, who will make his Test debut for Australia on Thursday, Cartwright grew up dreaming of playing international cricket for another nation.
The 24-year-old was born in Zimbabwe, but shifting to Perth as a child changed his priorities.
"Since I was five, I was playing with dad in the backyard in Zimbabwe. It had always been my goal to play for Zimbabwe," Cartwright recalled in 2012, when he made his Western Australia debut.
"But when our situation changed and we came here, I wanted to get that baggy green and these are my first steps - playing for WA and the Scorchers.
"I've had a few bumps along the way, but I've worked through and earned my spot."
Cartwright initially struggled for opportunities as a junior after moving to Perth. He never represented Australia at underage level.
But he had made a big impression on national selectors since being part of the inaugural Cricket Australia XI who contested the 2015 one-day cup.
He also scored a century for Australia A in September against India A.
"To make runs on your first game for Australia A is always a great feeling," Cartwright said.
"It helped my personal belief and self confidence going forward."
Hohns described Cartwright as a useful aggressive medium-pacer and someone who could strike the ball well.
"He is an exciting young prospect for Australian cricket and we have been watching him at the pathway level for some time," Hohns said.
Australia face New Zealand in ODIs at the SCG, Canberra's Manuka Oval and the MCG on December 4, 6 and 9 respectively.
Cartwright flew to Townsville on Wednesday in preparation for WA's Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland, starting on Saturday.
