SYDNEY: Pakistan former cricket captain Imran Khan has said that international cricketers are safe from terror attacks in Pakistan because the game is so well loved in the country.

Speaking to Australian television, Khan said that while he understood the Australians'' decision, those who wanted to destabilise Pakistan would not risk alienating their support base by attacking cricketers. "I also know that cricketers would never be under any threat from terrorists," he said.

Australia have not toured Pakistan for a decade and abandoned a visit earlier this year because of security concerns. In August, Australia also pulled out of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan which has now been postponed.

"Terrorists rely on support from the masses because that''s where they get their recruits, and cricket is a game which is so loved and there''s such passion in Pakistan, that the terrorists know that if a cricket match is bombed, they''ve had it. "The public will just turn against them." Khan added.