Australia's latest 'keeper finally ends 10-year wait

Australia's next wicketkeeper-in-waiting Nicole Faltum has had to become a master in practising patience.

Because when you are stuck behind Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney for the hardest spot in Australian cricket to crack, you don't have a choice.

"Patience is one of the things you need," Faltum said.

"But really, all you can do is try and be as present as possible and focus on me rather than other individuals."

For more than a decade, the door has effectively been closed on Australia's wicketkeepers.

Healy has worn the gloves since 2014, while Mooney has provided back up while already in the team as one of the world's best batters.

Both have almost always been available, with Emma Inglis the last wicketkeeper outside of the pair to be selected in an Australian squad in 2014.

Faltum will buck that trend next month, called up for her maiden tour of New Zealand with Healy injured.

"It's interesting, because it's everyone's goal to play for Australia," Faltum said. 

"A lot of my goals I set have to be about being focused on myself, being present and putting my energy into the teams I'm involved in.

"Then I set really big, overarching ones and some that seems probably a little bit out of reach. And this is probably one of them, to play for Australia.

"But I put a layer underneath that: how am I going to be able to do it?

"I try to stay up and on trend with the way the game evolves.

"And I just always want to be a consistent performer in whatever team I play for and I just like to be as present as I possibly can."

At age 25, Faltum's selection for the New Zealand tour is viewed as one for the future.

Selectors have made no secret of the fact game time is unlikely, with Mooney to wear the gloves.

But they are also aware safeguarding the side for the future is crucial, with Healy aged 34 and Mooney 31.

Faltum won the spot ahead of fellow 25-year-old Tahlia Wilson and 23-year-old Maddy Darke, largely off the back of her best WBBL season.

If used, the Victorian will likely bat down the order, where her power hitting and manipulation of the field have come to the fore this summer.

She has also poured more time into her glovework, after being reminded by selectors three years ago to not let that slip.

Slight technical changes have been made while up to the stumps, while Faltum's shift towards greater power movements have improved her keeping to the quicks.

"I still feel like (a debut) is a long way off for me," Faltum said.

"But this has just made me that little bit hungrier and probably just more determined to keep working hard. 

"It's a nice little pat on the back to be like, you are going in the right direction. I'm one step closer to living out my dream."

CommBank T20I tour of New Zealand

Australia T20 squad: Tahlia McGrath (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

First T20 | March 21: Eden Park, Auckland

Second T20 | March 23: Bay Oval, Tauranga

Third T20 | March 26: Sky Stadium, Wellington

All games starting at 12:45pm AEDT, 2:45pm NZDT