Cook's media briefing leaves TNCA red-faced

Chennai, Dec 9 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) was caught on the wrong foot Tuesday when England opener Alistair Cook decided to go ahead with a press conference that, apparently, was unscheduled.

The huge media contingent patiently waited in the lobby of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium after being informed about Cook's press conference at 2 pm.

There was confusion when nobody knew about the venue for the media conference while the TNCA officials in charge of the media insisted that they had no information of any such engagement.

Even as the officials went around informing the media that there would be no press conference, Cook walked across the ground without a single security personnel and made his way into one of the restaurants followed by the jostling print and electronic media.

One of the officials urged Cook to return, but the player ignored the request. 'We will not be responsible if anything happens here,' warned the official before getting swept away by the invading media posse.

The incident highlighted the laxness in security that looked impressive otherwise in terms of the sheer number of personnel posted for duty ahead of the first Test beginning here Thursday.

'Any outsider could have got in,' grumbled an official.