Karachi, Aug 1 - Pakistan hockey legend Hassan Sardar believes a successful revival of the national game can happen with regular exchanges of home-and-away matches against old rivals India.

Hassan, currently serving as Pakistan hockey's chief selector, said the two former Asian giants will have to play against each other regularly to lift the profile of the sport in the region.

'You can't lift hockey in our region without having regular matches between Pakistan and India,' said Hassan, one of Pakistan's most celebrated strikers.

Pakistan and India suspended bilateral hockey ties in the wake of last year's terrorist attack in Mumbai. India refused to send its junior team to Pakistan last year because of security concerns, a decision that prompted their neighbours to pull out of a four-nation hockey tournament in Chandigarh early this year.