Argentina Primera Division club Racing Club has a new member with actor AL PACINO, "renowned for his role in The Godfather series, pocketing his new membership this week." Racing, which has had a "number of well-known faces take the field for them, including DIEGO SIMEONE and DIEGO MILITO, can now add Hollywood royalty to the list of distinguished names associated with the club." Pacino has been traveling through Argentina with his Argentine girlfriend LUCILA SCOLA, "and was gifted a jersey and membership by the Buenos Aires-based team" (OMNISPORT, 10/29). ... MISBAH-UL-HAQ on Sunday became Pakistan's "most-capped captain, breaking the record of former legendary cricketer IMRAN KHAN to lead Pakistan for the 49th time in a Test match." Misbah was appointed captain in '10 (DAWN, 10/30). ... Former Pakistan Test Cricketer SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ will travel to India next month "where he will serve as spin consultant for the England team ahead of five Test match series." Rated as one of the "best off-spinners of modern cricket and inventor of the 'Doosra,' Saqlain previously worked with England, New Zealand and West Indies as spin consultant" (DAWN, 10/28). ... MLB player PABLO SANDOVAL spent Friday morning at a training session of Barcelona, "showing off his World Series rings and taking photos." He said, "This is a dream come true" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/28). ... Super Rugby side ACT Brumbies coach STEPHEN LARKHAM confirmed that he will "relinquish his Brumbies duties at the end of 2017 after signing a deal to become a full-time Wallabies assistant." The World Cup-winning player has been "living a double life as a Brumbies mentor and Wallabies assistant for the past 18 months" and said the role had become "unsustainable." The Brumbies will have a 12-month transition period "to find Larkham's replacement" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 10/28).
ALLARDYCE: SAM ALLARDYCE is understood to have "rejected an early return to management with Wolverhampton Wanderers after the club had been assured by the FA that his controversial departure from the England job would not prevent him from resuming his career." Wolves, who have slipped to 18th in the Championship, identified Allardyce as its "leading target" to replace WALTER ZENGA after the Italian was dismissed on Tuesday. Zenga managed the team for only 14 league games. With the FA continuing to sift through evidence, Wolves "made overtures to the governing body to find out whether Allardyce was available to work." A native of Dudley in the West Midlands, the 61-year-old was viewed by Wolves "as the ideal man to stabilise the club" and lead it to the Premier League, but Allardyce "is not yet ready to return to the game and is content to keep his options open" (LONDON TIMES, 10/29).
