Shah sends motivating e-mail to cricket team ahead of fourth ODI

Mumbai, Nov 27 (UNI) The Indian cricket team, reeling under heavy criticism following two heavy losses to South Africa in the one-day series, got a much needed morale booster in the form of a letter from the BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah.

Mr Shah sent an e-mail to lift the players' spirits ahead of the fourth one-dayer against South Africa.

Shah's gesture came in the wake of hue and cry created by the Indian Parliamentarians after Rahul Dravid's team suffered a humiliating 157-run defeat in the second ODI at Durban and 106-run defeat at Cape Town in the third ODI.

''We wanted to encourage the team and lift the spirits of the players to motivate them before the fourth match,'' Shah told UNI over telephone.

Shah revealed the contents of the e-mail, which read as: ''Just as in the midst of darkness, light persists, may you and everyone in the team be blessed to feel that in the midst of defeat, victory persists and in the midst of despair and distress, hope, confidence, courage and faith persist.'' ''The situation is not to get disheartened; but to re-strengthen the spirit and efforts, to resolve and to reaffirm the aim and target to attain such success. ''Such victory and such achievements can make the country very proud of the Indian Team,'' he wrote.

Shah said Chappell in his reply assured that the team was working hard and the players were 'giving their all'.

''Please be assured that the boys are working hard and are giving their all,'' the coach said.

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