The Pakistan batter had signed up for the first six County Championship matches but is set to be called into Pakistan's squad for the white-ball series against New Zealand in April and May
Leicestershire have suffered a seismic blow just weeks before the start of the new county season after a deal to sign Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique collapsed at the 11th hour.
The 23-year-old had agreed to play the first six Couty Championship fixtures before being replaced by India's Ajinkya Rahane for the remaining 12 and the Royal London Cup.
A deal between the Grace Road side and Shafique was agreed upon months ago but an announcement to confirm his arrival was called off less than two hours prior.
The right-handed Sialkot-native shone for Pakistan Super League winners Lahore Qalandars, scoring 268 runs at a strike rate of 144.08 in 10 matches, signing off with a top-scorer of 65 in the final against Multan Sultans.
His form saw him called up for the T20Is against Afghanistan, in the absence of the rested Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman.
Head coach Paul Nixon has been left high and dry just weeks before the new season (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Shafique, a staple of the Pakistan top-order in Test cricket having scored 992 runs in 12 Tests, has rarely been deployed in white-ball internationals in recent years. He wasn't part of the T20 World Cup squad and is considered an outsider for selection for the ODI tournament later in the year in during October and November
He has played just a single ODI and three T20Is since his debut in 2020, with the top order dominated by Fakhar, Imam-ul-Haq, captain Babar and Rizwan.
But The Cricketer understands that he is expected to keep his place in the squad for the T20I and ODI series against New Zealand in April and May.
The T20Is are scheduled to be staged between April 14-24 before the 50-over matches take centre stage between April 26-May 7.
At best, it would leave Shafique available to play just two Championship matches - Sussex and Worcestershire - leaving head coach Paul Nixon and director of cricket Claude Henderson to pursue alternative options.
"We have to cover ourselves," Nixon told The Cricketer. "He's played so well in the PSL we are having to look elsewhere."
Ajinkya Rahane is bound for Leicestershire this summer, but not until June (Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Their campaign gets underway at relegated Yorkshire on April 6, but the club are hopeful a replacement will be in place for the clash at Headingley. Wiaan Mulder is available for the entire campaign, across all formats, while Naveen-ul-Haq returns for a third season in the T20 Blast.
Injury concerns over Mulder have been eased after the South Africa allrounder was forced out of the ODI squad to face West Indies with a side strain.
Currently having some time off, Leicestershire expect him to be fit to bowl from the opening game. Nixon added: "He had a little niggle in his side which he's been playing with. He's having a bit of time away from cricket because it has been a bit full-on."
Last term saw the Running Foxes finish bottom of the Championship for the eighth time in the previous 14 seasons and winless on a fourth occasion in the last 10.
Failure to build foundations with the bat was central to their difficulties. In 27 Championship innings, they only breached 300 on six occasions and were bowled out short of 200 five times, making improving the batting ranks among the winter priorities.
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