The defending champions have travelled to the UAE with an 18-man squad without Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Joe Root and David Willey, who are with England at the World Twenty20 in India, while Jonny Bairstow has been rested.
The quintet’s absence means there’s a chance for all-rounder Matthew Waite and academy wicket-keeper Jonathan Read.
Despite being dominant in the longer format of the game, evident by their back-to-back Division One titles, Yorkshire have had a difficult time in the English Twenty20 competition, with group stage exits in the past two seasons.
While opener Lees admits it will be tough to defend their title in a tournament featuring the MCC, Lancashire and the UAE, he hopes there are plenty of positives to gain.
“Hopefully we can give some young players, who haven’t featured heavily in previous competitions, a chance to show their worth in this competition,” he said.
“We have to make sure we have a good balance of bowling and batting in the team.
“By giving the players, who’ve not had much playing time, it can give us a good clear indication of which players to use when the actual Twenty20 English domestic competition begins next season.
“I’m looking forward as to what stage the players skills are at, and what we need to work on. It’s a great learning curve for us.”
Yorkshire have happy memories of this tournament, having defeated three-time champions Sussex by 74 runs to get their hands on the trophy last year.
And the 22-year-old is looking forward to showcasing his skills in a vibrant atmosphere.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to get T20 cricket in the lads legs particularly for next season and be ready for the competitive games,” he said.
“Dubai is an amazing place. It’s second to none. The conditions are good to bat on and offers a little bit of seam on the spin and it’s different to what we’re used to in England.”
