India, Aug. 16 -- Former Pakistan captain Salman Akbar has blamed the absence of a robust domestic hockey structure for the country's decline, saying India responded to its failure to qualify for the 2008 Olympics by investing in its grassroots and domestic ecosystem and has since reaped the rewards.

Pakistan, a four-time World Cup champion and one of hockey's most successful teams historically, has returned to the men's World Cup after an eight-year absence. The team also finished last in the Pro League last season. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Akbar, who represented Pakistan in 230 international matches and featured in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, identified the lack of regular domestic competition as the biggest reason behind th...