Sydney, Jan. 13 : A messy room resulted in David Warner being booted out of the Cricket Australia''s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane three years ago.

When he returned home, he had a decision to make: clean up his act or get his hands dirty for the rest of his life. Warner met with three high-profile cricketing types who gave him advice, while his brother Steve gave him an ultimatum.

"I''m a plumber, and I said to him, ''You can give it away and come labour for me, digging trenches, or you can put your head down and put everything into this if you want to be a professional sportsman,"'' Steve Warner recalled telling his brother.

David was invited back to the academy the following year, and as Steve watched his younger brother obliterate South Africa''s pace attack on debut for Australia at the MCG on Sunday night, he admitted to having a tear in his eye.

It was an emotional night for the Warners, as parents Howard and Lorraine watched from their Matraville home, riding each delivery of his 89-run innings. They remembered the vow David made to his grandfather, Frank, on his deathbed - that one day he would represent Australia in memory of his greatest fan.

"That was for his grandad - when David scored his half-century and looked up at the sky, it was for him," Lorraine said.

Australia''s most thrilling batting prospect since Adam Gilchrist, the 22-year-old Warner announced himself on the world stage with such an emphatic statement few could believe he has yet to play first-class cricket. It is still a prickly subject among the Warner clan, but his four-day debut for NSW is now a matter of when, not if.

Warner''s father didn''t believe his son had the ability to play in the longer format of the game. Now he says: "I think he''ll wear the baggy green within two to three years - although I told him he wouldn''t play for Australia for another four years, so he might prove me wrong again."

Warner has made a habit of trumping his dad. "I used to coach him in the junior level and he''d do the opposite of everything I told him," Howard said.

Clearly, the boy had promise. Howard once took an under-17s Sydney association team to England with a 10-year-old Warner in tow as a mascot. During the trip, several players fell ill. With no other options, Warner was thrown on to field for the tourists and impressed all with his enthusiasm. "He was chasing everything," Howard recalled.

While Howard realised his youngest son had a special talent, it wasn''t until the magical innings of 165 not out for NSW against Tasmania last November that he knew David would play for Australia. His son''s batting style is set to revolutionise backyard cricket all over the country. (ANI)