A taste of international cricket in June, a successful season at domestic level and the complementary force of his Lions team-mates paved the way for fast bowler Chris Morris' call-up to South Africa's T20I squad this week.

One of four new caps in a 15-man collective, which also features wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and hard-hitting opener Henry Davids, Morris effectively boasts a head start.

The proud recipient of three caps in the unofficial Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, the 25-year-old right-armer insists the experience and insight gained during that tour will stand him in good stead later this month.

"I learnt a lot about the pressures of international cricket. You're under pressure all the time, even though it was just against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The pressure is on all the time, that's one of the things I picked up. In general, it's quite a relaxed environment, though, not as intense as some might think," Morris told Cricket365.

While outfoxing Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill will prove considerably tougher than rattling through Vusi Sibanda and Farhad Reza, Morris is ready to replicate the success that earned him - and his side - berths in the Twenty20 Cup, Champions League and One-Day Cup finals this year.

"When you get into three finals in one year, you've got start looking at the players. The thing about playing at the Lions, is that we are playing for each other, pushing for success. That's the main thing that has counted for us - and the guys that have been called up fully deserve it," he added.

Morris, alongside the 23-year-old Hardus Viljoen, who gained A side selection on Thursday, has been at the fore of the Lions' seam-bowling accomplishments in 2012. Their batting ranks, meanwhile, have been lined with big runs from the veteran Neil McKenzie and Alviro Petersen - and de Kock. Phangiso, meanwhile, has emerged head and shoulders above the franchise's burgeoning spinners.

"There is so much you can say about Aaron and Quinton. Aaron is hitting his peak at the moment, in my opinion. Quinton, well, what can I say, the kid is unbelievably exciting and deserved the call. So, all in all, this is a good advert for Lions cricket," continued Morris.

"Aaron is doing really well. At the Lions, we call him a street fighter because he is street smart. We also call him the banker because we can rely on him to deliver. He has learnt his trade after being around for a while, and now he knows his game inside and out - and it's proving so because he is getting a lot of wickets at the moment."

With regular wicketkeeper AB de Villiers set to play as a specialist batsman against the Black Caps, de Kock beat Cobras pretender Dane Vilas and Titans stalwart Heino Kuhn to fill in behind the stumps this time. The move has raised questions about the amount of responsibility squared on the shoulders of the 19-year-old, who is also likely to bat in the top order, but Morris begged to differ.

"Whatever Quinton takes on, he will handle it perfectly. He is unbelievably talented, as everyone says he is. What people won't know, Quinton is unbelievably cricket smart - he has got thick skin, he is quite tough and very good mentally. Like I said, whatever gets put to him he will take on well. He is a fighter, an unbelievable talent," enthused Morris.

The right-handed Morris sports the instincts of an all-rounder, warranted on the back of a first-class average of 38.05 and a highest score of 154. Quickfire cameos of 49 not out and 23 not out in the One-Day Cup this month, although in vain, certainly attested to his talents with the bat.

"At the moment my role for the Proteas will be as a bowler. At a later stage, maybe if I get the opportunity, I can work on my batting some more. I want to come on and bowl at great pace and take wickets at that level. Then, hopefully, come in at the end of the innings and smash the ball out of the park. So yes, I'm a bowler first and foremost - but we don't want to discount my batting, which has come the party a couple of times this year. Look at Jacques Kallis as an example, the role of an all-rounder in Twenty20 cricket is a big one," he concluded.