Pakistan skipper Younis Khan appealed to the administrators to help prevent young minds from falling prey to terrorism.

Fearing alienation from the international cricket community in the aftermath of the Lahore terror attack, Younis on Thursday has appealed to save the game in the country.

"Our future as a nation is in our youngsters' hands," Younis said.

Pakistan skipper worried

"Sport helps to make good human beings. If the sport is not there, the children can do silly things. We have to be very careful about that.

"Nobody wants to see children going down a bad path and finding themselves involved with bombs and things like that. We all must do something to stop that happening," said the Pakistan captain.

Younis expressed apprehension that international isolation would see cricket taking backstage in the country.

"Maybe in the future we will be alone (as a cricketing nation) and that would be very sad, especially for the youngsters.

"When I was a boy, I loved watching Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram playing against great teams from overseas. It is because of them - seeing them play - that I also played the game," he told a cricket website.

"But what if no one comes to Pakistan? How will the youngsters know about the game? What will they do?" Younis queried.

"I appeal to all the bosses and the ICC not to let cricket die here. They must think about all the factors, including what will become to the youngsters of Pakistan. It would be very easy right now for the ICC and the bosses to say there will be no cricket in Pakistan.

"But the future will not be good if cricket is taken away from my country," the right-handed batsman said.

Younis expressed solidarity with SL players

Younis expressed solidarity with the Sri Lanka cricketers, seven of whom sustained injuries when terrorists opened fire and threw grenades at the team bus carrying them to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday.

The attack also left eight people, including six security personnel dead.

Younis said the entire team remain shocked and saddened at the attack on the Sri Lankan team and ICC officials.

The middle-order batsman expressed concern that if Pakistan stays in sporting isolation for long, players could lose interest in representing the national team and look for greener pastures in leagues abroad, thus affecting the game in the country.

"I have seen a lot in my career. At the last World Cup, Bob Woolmer died and that was a terrible thing. Then, just after I had been made the captain, we have this shocking attack. This is a very bad time in Pakistan. It feels that every day we go backwards, not forwards. We have not experienced anything like this before," he said.

Younis urges authorities to weed out terrorism

The 31-year-old also urged authorities to act quickly to weed out terrorism from the country.

"If something is not done quickly, maybe everyone goes to the IPL, ICL or county cricket. I hope that does not happen. It is up to the ICC and the bosses from around the world to make sure that cricket is not lost in Pakistan because of a couple of mad people. It is not the sportsman's fault." Younis said he had dinner with the Sri Lankan players after the attack.

"I met with the Sri Lankan team before they flew home and had dinner with them. They were very sad about what was happening to cricket.

"Cricket is suffering. Sport is one of the only things that brings countries closer and now, because of a few idiots - people who use guns and bombs are not human - no one might come here and we could be all alone," he said.