Since the horrors of this summer's Hobart Test match, the National Selection Panel have not been shy of thrusting new names into the spotlight.

The KFC Big Bash League has done much to raise the profile of Australia's domestic cricketers, with more than a million tuning in nightly to watch. But even the keenest Big Bash watchers would have raised an eyebrow at the latest name thrown into the mix.

Sam Heazlett, at just 21, has been called up to join Australia's one-day international squad on the Qantas Tour of New Zealand for a three-match Chappell-Hadlee Trophy defence.

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Heazlett fills the vacancy opened after Steve Smith sprained an ankle fielding against Pakistan in Adelaide on Australia Day. With a four-Test series against India looming next month, the decision was made to keep Smith home, and send a young gun in his place.

Heazlett scored a century on his List A debut last August, hitting 101 for the National Performance Squad last August in a Townsville one-dayer against South Africa A.

That South Africa A side featured seven players capped at international level – a further two have since represented the Proteas – and Heazlett was too good for them all.

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He reeled off two more half-centuries in that tournament – taking India A's bowlers for 60 in Townsville, and South Africa A for another 73 in Mackay.

He had looked on track to repeat the dose in the third-place play-off against South Africa A, but was forced to retire hurt on 35 with a thigh injury that kept him out of last year's Matador Cup.

Batting alongside the likes of Matthew Renshaw and Hilton Cartwright, who now own Baggy Green caps, Heazlett finished the tournament with 289 runs in five innings, at an average of 72.25, with one century and two fifties. Twenty-six boundaries and seven big sixes enhanced his reputation as a powerful left-handed top-order player.

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The injury that ruled Heazlett out of the Matador puts him in the unfamiliar position of being selected for Australia without yet having played in the format for his state.

Heazlett's selection appears to underline a change of thinking from the Interim National Selection Panel to put youth first. Whether the powerful left-handed top-order batsman will play in any of the three matches against New Zealand remains to be seen.

And while he may seem a 'Jonny come lately' who has leapfrogged grizzled domestic performers, he has been on the radar for some time.

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Notably, as a rising star in the Queensland system he has long been tipped for higher honours. He came to prominence under the Queensland state talent manager, Trevor Hohns, who is now the National Selection Panel's interim chairman. Another selector, former Australia captain Greg Chappell, was working as Cricket Australia's National Talent Manger until taking up the NSP role.

"We have taken the opportunity to introduce another exciting young player to the Australian team environment and international cricket by including Sam Heazlett," Hohns said on Friday.

Hohns and Chappell both would have considerable first-hand knowledge of Heazlett's ability, as well as his personality and temperament.

"Solid left-hand opening batsman. He’s performed well at youth level for Australia and Queensland," Chappell told cricket.com.au ahead of the 2015-16 summer.

"To complete the package, he bowls some orthodox left-arm spin and fields well."

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Heazlett was a Queensland Under-19s star, piling up centuries and captaining the state. It was enough for him to earn Australia Under-19 selection, where he went big to score 160 against the touring England U19s in Perth in April 2015.

He drew the eye, and the praise, of former Australia opener Chris Rogers, who was on hand to witness that century against the England U19s.

"Sam's was just a very impressive innings and looked like he had the kind of game that could succeed at first-class level," Rogers told cricket.com.au in November 2015.

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"He's a pretty intense kind of guy who loves his cricket and thinks about it a lot, so I imagine he'll be a hard worker as well.

"There's no lack of drive there and I thought he was definitely one of the kids to really look out for."

Rogers comments came in the wake of Heazlett's maiden Sheffield Shield century, which also came on his first-class debut.

"It's very hard to go into your Shield debut and score a hundred," Rogers said.

"I'm not surprised that he has the game to succeed at that level, but to be able to step up and do it straight away, that's brilliant.

"He's shown more senior players just how good he is and that's an incredible effort first up."

Heazlett may not play in New Zealand, but the National Selection Panel may already have an eye beyond this series, and even this winter's Champions Trophy, towards the next World Cup, in 2019.

Century on Shield debut, century on List A debut. Should Heazlett get his opportunity on the Qantas Tour of New Zealand, the sky is the limit.