Australia is confident their fast-bowling stocks are getting closer to full strength just three weeks out from the start of another jam-packed international summer that will feature 10 Tests and 14 limited-overs internationals in less than five months.

As the bulk of Australia's cricketers return home from South Africa following their 5-0 ODI series defeat, several of Australia's pace guns have ramped up their preparation on home soil ahead of the coming season, which will start with a three-Test series against the Proteas next month.

Mitchell Starc

Watch all of Starc's 24 wickets v Sri Lanka

Rested for the South Africa series before he suffered a serious leg injury in a freak accident last month, Mitchell Starc is said to be on track for the first Test of the summer on November 3 after he resumed running and bowling in Brisbane this week.

The left-armer, who needed 30 stitches in his leg following a collision with a piece of metal training equipment in Sydney, may also be declared fit for NSW's opening Sheffield Shield match on October 25, although his participation for the first Test at the WACA is not dependent on him playing the Shield clash.

"Mitch has commenced running and bowling this week and is coping well," said Cricket Australia Bupa Support Team Physiotherapist Kevin Sims.

"We hope to have him available for the first Test should his recovery continue as planned."

Josh Hazlewood

Starc's NSW teammate Josh Hazlewood, who was also rested for the South Africa tour, is set to return to action for the Blues in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup on Friday and is seemingly a certain starter for the opening Test in Perth.

The right-armer, who hasn't played a competitive match since August 28, has missed just one of Australia's 21 Tests since his debut in 2014 and proved himself to be a workhorse by playing all six Tests last Australian summer.

Peter Siddle

Paine's leave is Siddle's perfect welcome back gift

In a big boost for the Aussies, the experienced Peter Siddle showed positive signs in Victoria's Matador Cup clash on Thursday, his first hit out since February.

The 31-year-old veteran of 61 Tests has been nursing ankle and back injuries throughout the winter and was happy with his performance at North Sydney Oval, where he took 1-19 from eight tight overs.

"It felt great out there today," Siddle told Wide World of Sports during Victoria's run chase.

"The legs were a little bit heavy. It doesn't matter how fit you are, you always pull up a bit sore after your first bowl back.

"I'd like to say yes (to being available for the first Test) but honestly, it's going to be a bit hard. It's going to be a stretch and I've got one Shield game before that.

"I'll just keep playing it by ear and hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later."

Jackson Bird

Bird flies through India A in Brisbane

While Siddle is unlikely to feature at the start of the Test summer, Tasmanian Jackson Bird is on track to possibly partner Starc and Hazlewood in a three-man pace attack at the WACA, having played all four Matador Cup clashes for the Tigers so far.

The 29-year-old, who claimed seven wickets on his return to the Test side in February, was part of the Test squad on the recent tour of Sri Lanka, although he wasn't required in the spin-friendly conditions.

The South African quintet

Mennie gets his happy return

National Selector Mark Waugh and CA's Executive General Manager of High Performance Pat Howard have both defended Australia's inexperienced five-man pace attack that toured South Africa, warning against judging the quintet so early in their careers.

With Starc and Hazlewood rested, the pace attack for the series consisted of John Hastings (23 ODIs to his name before the tour began), Scott Boland (10 ODIs) as well as uncapped trio Chris Tremain, Joe Mennie and Dan Worrall.

And while they all struggled to contain the home side's star-studded batting line-up in the series whitewash, Waugh pointed out they weren't alone in a series where the average team total, aside from a low-scoring clash in Port Elizabeth, was 317.

"They've been a little bit short of the mark, but to be honest, the grounds and the pitches have been very tough to bowl on," Waugh told Wide World of Sports.

"It's been a learning curve for those guys. Joe Mennie bowled really well last night (in the fifth ODI), Chris Tremain has bowled well at times. They'll know now what level is required to succeed against good quality players."

Howard, too, said the inexperienced pacemen shouldn't be judged on just one series.

"You don’t want to judge people at the start (of their careers)," he said. "Give people time. There is that test about how people rise to the occasion.

"We challenge players when they come into the international squad, let's see what it’s like (and now) they’ll go back into domestic cricket and they've got to dominate that.

"I want to see how those players take this opportunity and grow from it.

"We'll cop our criticism (for resting players) but the preparation is important. Players are coming back now and selectors will have choice."

Pat Cummins

Cummins bags four on Matador return

Another boost for Australia during the Matador Cup has been the return of young gun Pat Cummins after a 12-month absence due to a serious back injury.

The right-armer, whose lone Test to date came back in 2011, has taken six wickets in two matches for NSW as he eases back into competitive cricket.

Speaking to cricket.com.au last month, Cummins said while Test cricket remained his long-term goal, he was hopeful of representing his country in the ODI format this season.

"Obviously getting back to playing first-class cricket is the short-term goal, and even shorter is the Matador Cup and a couple of one-dayers this summer," he said.

"And then one day I'd love to be out there in the Baggy Green again."

James Pattinson

The long awaited comeback of James Pattinson is also gathering momentum, with the right-armer said to be targeting a return for Victoria Premier Cricket club Dandenong next month before turning his attention to the Melbourne Renegades' KFC Big Bash League campaign.

The 26-year-old, who played four of Australia's eight Tests last summer, developed a bone stress injury in his left shin in February before it was revealed in May that he had suffered a relapse of stress fractures in his back.

The aggressive right-armer has 70 wickets at 26.15 from 17 Tests since his debut in 2011.

Nathan Coulter-Nile

The news is not so good for WA paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile, who is expected to miss the entire Australian summer due to a back injury.

The 28-year-old suffered a lumbar bone stress fracture to his lower back while on tour in Sri Lanka in August, the latest in a string of injuries that has put his seemingly inevitable Test debut on hold over recent seasons.

"He's 28 now. He's still got a few more good years in him, and hopefully he'll get rewarded down the track," state coach Justin Langer said last month as he indicated the right-armer's season was all but over.

"If you look at his career, he hasn't bowled much at all. How resilient his body is, time will tell.

"He'll certainly be doing everything he can to get back out on the park."

The left-armers

Faulkner claims ODI hat-trick

There has been mixed news on the injury front this month for a trio of left-arm fast-bowlers - ODI regular James Faulkner, uncapped WA quick Jason Behrendorff and 23-year-old Joel Paris.

Faulkner, who missed the South Africa tour due to a calf injury, bowled at good pace in Tasmania's warm-ups at North Sydney Oval on Thursday and is confident of returning to action at the back-end of the Matador Cup.

Behrendorff, a highly-rated paceman who has been beset by injury throughout his career, has shown positive signs for the Warriors so far in the Matador Cup, his first competitive hit-out since being laid low by a back injury in January.

The 26-year-old, who hadn't played since the BBL last summer before this month, has taken four wickets in three matches in the tournament so far and will look to push his international claims further as the domestic season progresses.

The news is not so good for Behrendorff's WA teammate and fellow left-armer Joel Paris, who is expected to be out of action until the start of BBL|06 in December.

Paris, who played two one-day internationals for Australia last summer, suffered a left quad injury at training last week having also suffered a right quad injury the previous season, while he was also ruled out of the Indian Premier League earlier this year due to a shin injury.