text: The relationship between the FA and Premier League — never great at the best of times — has deteriorated further with the ridiculous clash of fixtures on Saturday. Both organisations blame each other for their respective rights holders, Sky and the BBC, scheduling the marquee Chelsea vs Manchester United league match against the FA Cup semi-final between Reading and Arsenal. The Cup game attracted a peak audience of 6.9 million, over treble the 2m rating for the PL game on Sky. But both viewing figures would have been higher had they not coincided. Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final victory over Reading on Saturday clashed with a top Premier League fixture . With star quality including Wayne Rooney and Eden Hazard on show, Manchester United's visit to Chelsea took viewers away from the game at Wembley, bringing the Premier League and FA into another dispute . The FA say that the dates of the semi-final were known at the start of the season, while the Premier League point to the Sky fixtures for the weekend having been set last February — a month before the BBC announced their semi-final schedule. To add to the muddle — with the TV armchair fan the big loser — the Premier League purposely chose to broadcast fixtures involving top-four clubs on semi-final days. They do this because the FA Cup takes precedence and the league postponement means Sky often then have the bonus of a blockbuster live televised midweek game close to the end of the season that could have a bearing on the title race. But Chelsea and Manchester United both being knocked out of the Cup prevented that happening this season. Hazard celebrates the only goal of the game in the Premier League showdown, but viewers missed out . Luke Shaw, who has had weight problems since joining Manchester United, enjoyed one of his better games against Chelsea in a season when he rates his own performances as C minus. Coincidentally, hard-line United boss Louis van Gaal has banned his players from stopping at the permanent fast food van on the road leading to United’s Carrington training base. The van has been a favourite pit stop for United stars, including David Beckham, down the years. But having no choice but to lay off their tempting bacon sarnies could be the making of Shaw, it seems. Luke Shaw was in impressive form at Stamford Bridge, and he might owe his form to a change in diet . Joe Root's football-style celebration of his two wickets in the first Test added some impetus to England’s bowling team, with Root looking more like the next Test captain with every game. But not everyone was impressed, including former Crystal Palace manager Alan Smith, who is following England in the Caribbean and who tweeted his disapproval, adding that he was ‘old school’. But Smith is canny enough that when he sold his cricket agency Arundel, he kept hold of the wealth management business that still looks after a good proportion of the England side. Joe Root celebrates the wicket of Darren Bravo, but his exuberance has been criticised by Alan Smith . Kevin Pietersen is the elephant in the room, even at England’s sleepy Sugar Ridge Hotel on the day after the first Test. Alastair Cook could be seen in a long conversation with Test Match Special’s Jonathan Agnew. It transpired this was a clear-the-air chat between the sensitive pair after Cook was upset with Agnew for being so positive about Pietersen’s World Cup stint with the programme. Quite why this should annoy Cook is hard to understand. Alastair Cook seems unable to get past the continuing rumours about an England return for Kevin Pietersen . Pietersen has expressed a desire to play Test cricket again, and is trying to prove himself at Surrey . Clarke back for more . You might think the ECB’s preposterous president, Giles Clarke, would be keeping his head down after making such a fool of himself at the 2015 Wisden launch by haranguing guest speaker Ehsan Mani and almanack editor Lawrence Booth. Instead he wants ‘Sale’, as he addresses your Sports Agenda columnist in an email, to make clear that he missed the Test in Antigua not because of anything to do with his doomed five-year deal for T20 matches on the island with serial fraudster Allen Stanford, but because he was attending ICC board meetings in Dubai. Giles Clarke attends an ICC Board meeting in Dubai, which was his reason for not being at the Test in Antigua . Ironically, Clarke’s replacement as ECB representative in Antigua was Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove, who loathes Clarke. One thing has remained reassuringly constant during all the turbulence of England cricket abroad over the last 16 years — veteran team operations manager Phil Neale always has the best suntan. However, colleagues point out how hard former Worcester captain Neale works when he’s not sunning himself around the pool.
target: Football Association and Premier League fall out over clash .
  BBC and Sky viewing figures both suffered with games on at same time .
  Luke Shaw might have been helped by Louis van Gaal's fast-food rules .
  Joe Root's celebrations come in for criticism, while Alastair Cook is still worrying about Kevin Pietersen's media coverage .