World Cup hero eyes Test return

Allrounder James Faulkner says it came as no surprise to him that he missed selection in Australia's Test squads for the tours of the West Indies and the UK later this year.

And with Australia's fifth World Cup title secure, the allrounder says his main focus next summer will be first-class cricket as he aims to add to the one Test cap he earned back in 2013.

Faulkner, man-of-the-match of Australia's World Cup final triumph against New Zealand, was not included in Australia's 17-man squad for the Ashes in July and August, with the allrounder duties falling to Shane Watson and Mitchell Marsh.

The 24-year-old played just three Bupa Sheffield Shield matches this summer as he focused predominantly on one-day cricket leading into the World Cup, but he says he will shift his approach next season.

"After a few days celebrating with the squad and a couple relaxing in Hobart with friends and family, now my attention turns to the IPL, and getting back into the Australian Test squad — that is my goal now," Faulkner wrote in The Hobart Mercury.

"Some people were surprised I did not make the West Indies and Ashes tours, but I had been informed I would most likely miss out due to a lack of longer form cricket.

"So much of the focus and scheduling leading into the World Cup was focused on one-day cricket. Now this is behind us, I can spend more time in whites playing for the Tigers.

"I would like to play Test cricket, that’s the pinnacle, and the path is pretty simple.

"I will have the opportunity to play more Sheffield Shield games for Tasmania next season - I've just got to make sure I do well with bat and ball and hopefully the rest can take care of itself."

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Faulkner celebrates Australia's World Cup win // Getty

While Faulkner's non-selection in the Test squad announced on Tuesday came as no great surprise, he was a notable absentee from the Australia A squad for their tour of India in July.

The A squad for the four-day matches against India A features nine players with international experience, including Faulkner's World Cup teammates Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins.

As it stands, Faulkner is not scheduled to play any form of cricket between the end of the Indian Premier League on May 24 and his probable selection for Australia's limited overs matches against England in August and September.

But National Selector Rod Marsh hinted on Tuesday that a plan was being formulated to help Faulkner return his focus to the first-class game.

"James desperately needs some red-ball cricket. It's not his fault that he's not played any red-ball cricket, really," Marsh said.

"Glenn Maxwell is another one who hasn't played much red-ball cricket and we're giving Glenn some (on the A tour).

"We've also got hopeful plans, which I can't reveal right now, for Jimmy Faulkner.

"He'll be right; he's a hell of a good cricketer. He's a hard man to keep down as we know.

"We certainly haven't forgotten him, put it that way."

Faulkner's one and only Test to date came in the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval in 2013, where he took six wickets for the match and contributed quickfire innings of 23 and 22.

He will head to India on Sunday to join fellow Australians Shane Watson, Steve Smith and Ben Cutting at IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.