When his cellphone rang three days ago in Palmerston North, Jamie How answered but couldn't hear much owing to a crackling noise on the line.
Soaking up the joys of fatherhood after wife Tammy gave birth seven months ago, How didn't have to think twice about where his priorities lay about dinner time.
"I was trying to put our girl, Emily, to bed so I had to hang up," the Central Districts captain explains at Nelson Park, Napier, where the Stags are hosting the Canterbury Wizards in the second round of the four-day Plunket Shield match.
Little did the opening batsman know the person on the other end of the phone was New Zealand cricket coach Mark Greatbatch, of Havelock North.
"Luckily, he called back but I didn't get to hear what he actually had to say," the 29-year-old says with a smile.
Any time one is not in the Black Caps squad the familiar voice of Greatbatch on the other end indubitably carries the promise of selection, akin to opening a parcel under a Christmas tree.
Minutes later, How was again on the verge of surrender to the vagaries of modern technology when the phone rang again.
This time, he latched on to a key phrase that mattered - "... I'll see you over here [India]".
"That's all I needed to know," says the man who made his international debut against Sri Lanka in an ODI match in Queenstown on the last day of 2005.
A-salt-of-the-earth first-class campaigner, who had gone on to rack up a robust 116-ball 139 in a 340-run chase against England at McLean Park, Napier, in 2008 for a tie, suddenly found himself in cricketing wilderness in both versions of the game early last year.
"It's been a long time between drinks but I'm looking forward to it because it's going to be a good opportunity."
How believes he has the temperament to play the longer version of the game too but accepts the Black Caps are going well on their test tour in India.
"My chances are in the one-day game so, hopefully, I can go well there and cement my spot in that form first."
Words such as tough, balance and experience crop up with monotonous regularity to describe his metamorphosis into the elusive state of a complete cricketer.
No doubt, the time off has been good to ponder on his game and rebuild his confidence so, when the opportunity did knock on his door, his grip was firmly around the latch in anticipation.
Reflecting on the man in the mirror two years ago, How finds stark differences in attitude and mental fortitude.
"I'm a lot more balanced off the field and on the field. I'd like to think he's more experienced.
"You know, once you go through a tough time, it's harder to come back but, once you do, you come back a better player," he says, as a sense of resoluteness surfaces on the basis of awareness of tough and good times.
How's adamant about his passion, drive or motivation two seasons ago. It wasn't due to a lack of trying. If anything, he may have been guilty of trying too hard.
It's elementary, actually.
The accrual effect of more time on the crease helps grow the experience account, thus fostering a better understanding of one's sense of worthiness.
"You get to know what works and doesn't work. I guess it gives you the foundation of what makes you tick so you can hone in on it and keep it constant.
"You are always going to miss out on cricket and go through tough times but, if you can really identify those foundations and keep at them, then the big scores aren't far away."
Uncertainty in the youthful years means players tend to try anything and everything on the shaky platform of desperation in the hope that some things will fall into place by default.
A healthy dose of self-belief helps How middle the ball from the face of a straight bat and adopt a more reactive stance.
Unarguably, family members and those in the know make a difference too.
Nevertheless, for How, it's not the index finger pointing away that's prominent these days but the other four digits pointing back at him that matter.
"I think the most important person is yourself. You know, you are the one who knows best if you are playing well or taking short cuts," he says, which to the uninitiated can come across as a lack of gratitude.
While some people are pivotal in the tinkering process, it ultimately boils down to the individual's desire.
"I think I'm a lot more driven now. This winter, in particular, I've sat down and set some goals and really wanted to achieve them and worked hard to do that."
He's under no illusions that he still has a lot more to achieve.
While he and a few teammates knew of How's selection amid earlier media projection, the New Plymouth-born player's focus on the first-class game in the first two days didn't waiver.
"I didn't think much about what might or might not be coming up."
Central Districts skipper is recalled to Black Caps
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