Serie A side Fiorentina President MARIO COGNIGNI confirmed the club's training ground "will be renamed" in honor of DAVIDE ASTORI. The Italian side continues to pay respect to its captain, "who died from natural causes that led to heart problems just hours ahead of a scheduled match against Udinese earlier this month" (GOAL, 3/19). ... Australia sevens coach TIM WALSH said that "he in no way considered it a promotion" to be switching responsibility from the women’s national team to the men’s squad in a move announced by Rugby Australia on Monday. Walsh, who led the women’s team to the inaugural Olympic sevens title at 2016 Rio Games, will replace ANDY FRIEND after the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next month. Friend was told last week that his contract "would not be renewed," while Walsh had "already indicated he would be stepping down from his role with the women's team" (REUTERS, 3/18). ... Boxer FLOYD MAYWEATHER claimed he could buy EPL side Newcastle United and, in turn, "bring CRISTIANO RONALDO back to the Premier League." Mayweather is "known for piling his money into lucrative investments," and the purchasing of an EPL club has "crossed his mind." Newcastle has been "looking for new ownership for some time" (London DAILY MAIL, 3/19). ... A New Zealand cricket fan is "asking for help" to save former Black Cap MARTIN CROWE's memorabilia from an auction dubbed the "Art of Divorce." Crowe's cousin, actor RUSSELL CROWE, is auctioning off 227 lots "in order to settle his divorce" with Australian actress and singer DANIELLE SPENCER. The items include memorabilia from Crowe's movies as well as "personal items from his collection of watches, motorcycles, art, furniture, musical instruments and sports collectables." Those include the bat Martin used to score his 17th and final test hundred at Old Trafford in England in '94 as well as the one he used to score 142 at Lord's earlier in the same tour (STUFF, 3/19). ... Holden Racing has not ruled out "snatching" SIMONA DE SILVESTRO from Nissan, with the Australian team admitting the Swiss driver is in line to become its "first ever Supercars female driver." Holden Exec Dir of Marketing MARK HARLAND admitted the car manufacturer could "make a play" at signing the woman who became the first ever full-time Supercars female driver when she joined the series last year (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 3/17).
HANGING THEM UP: England cricket int'l KEVIN PIETERSEN revealed he decided to "call time on his cricket career" after realizing he "no longer had it in him to improve." He ends a career in which he scored 23 centuries in 104 test matches. Pietersen walks away as England's second-highest run scorer of all-time "across all three formats of the game despite being exiled" from the national team following the "divisive" '13-14 Ashes (London TELEGRAPH, 3/19).
