Michael Clarke has hailed the improving state of fitness of Australia’s injury-prone pacemen and says they’ll all be needed for the big program ahead this summer.

The hectic schedule of international matches at home started on Wednesday, with he first of three T20 matches against South Africa.

There follows five one-day games against the Proteas, a Test series against India and a limited overs tri-series also involving England and India and before the one-day World Cup commences in February.

Pat Cummins, who has hardly played in the last three Australian summers through injury, made an encouraging return to international cricket in Wednesday’s T20 loss to South Africa.

Josh Hazlewood, whose last international appearance was over nine months ago, starred for NSW in the recent domestic one-day tournament.

Ryan Harris returned to action for the Queensland Academy of Sport team this week after being sidelined since his heroic match-winning efforts in the Cape Town Test against South Africa back in March.

James Pattinson, who hasn’t played a first-class since that Test, is also on the comeback trail, though playing just as a batsman in Melbourne club cricket.

“I think it’s great for Australian Test cricket that a lot of our fast bowlers are on the mend,” Clarke said on Friday, at the launch in Sydney of his latest Captain’s Diary book.

“Josh Hazlewood has done really well in the one-dayers, Ryan Harris is getting fitter and stronger, James Pattinson is back, Pat Cummins …

“That’s a real positive sign for Australian cricket, moving forward.

“Over the next 12 months, I think we’re obviously going to need them all.”

Clarke said Australia’s disastrous two-Test hammering by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates would serve to spark the players in all forms of the game.

“I guess that’s extra hunger and fire in the belly for us as the Australian team, to make sure we’re at the top of our game, whether it be T20, one-day cricket or Test cricket,” he said.