TORONTO -- Saad Zafar finds kindred admiration in a guy like Shohei Ohtani.

As an all-rounder -- cricket’s version of a two-way player -- Zafar can relate better than most to the toils of high performance on both sides of the ball. That feat isn’t as rare in cricket as it is in baseball, but the common ground is certainly there.

“There’s definitely a lot of similarities in terms of the nature of the game,” said Zafar. “A lot of transferable skills between the two. So when you see the same kind of skill set in a different game, you can always have that connection and admiration for [athletes] in other sports.”

Zafar will serve as Team Canada’s captain in the upcoming International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, to be hosted in the West Indies and the United States in June. He was one of several current and former players in attendance at Rogers Centre on Friday night, as the Blue Jays hosted their second Cricket Night at the Ballpark in their series opener against the Twins.

This time, he pitched instead of bowled. Alongside two of his Team Canada vice captains, Zafar took the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Blue Jays’ game.

By nature of location, any event at Rogers Centre is likely to feature a diverse crowd, but this was deeper. When he took the mound and threw to fellow hurler Nate Pearson, the Pakistani-born Zafar represented an entire community of expats who have found a new home in North America and who remain deeply connected to their roots through sport.

“My parents live in Pakistan, my extended family is in Pakistan, so they follow my cricket journey, everywhere I go representing Canada,” said Zafar. “So I always have that connection. … It's all because of cricket that I get to stay connected to my family in Pakistan.”

Local fans, in turn, found connection through their idols.

During the early innings of Friday’s game, dozens of cricket enthusiasts of all ages swarmed around a specific section of the ballpark, donned head to toe in Blue Jays gear as they scrambled to snag a picture with their favorite cricket players. It was all part of the festivities, which also included a cricket hat giveaway, photo ops with the T20 World Cup trophy and South Asian takes on ballpark food.

The land of hockey has made room for plenty of other sports over the years. With an ever-growing South Asian and Caribbean population, cricket aficionados believe they are next -- and the Blue Jays recognize that appetite.

“To be honest, that's why I'm so proud to be from Toronto,” said Christine DesJardine, VP of brand and digital marketing for the Blue Jays. “Because that is exactly what I feel our city and our country are. So it's so amazing to see that reflected now at the ballpark.”

All of it is part of a global effort to bring the two sports -- and their fan bases -- closer together. Beyond funky throwing mechanics, powerful swings and complex rules, it’s all about a bat, a ball and a bonding opportunity.

“My childhood memories and my greatest time with my family … it has to be, hands down, cricket games,” said ICC Americas development officer Fara Gorsi, a Colorado-based Manchester native. “And just the love. I can only relate it to, like, Christmas Day every time you watch a game -- the excitement and the nervousness of it.”

The universal language of sports.

“It was fantastic to see all the smiling faces [in the ballpark]” said Carlos Brathwaite, a 2016 T20 World Cup champion. “So many people wanted to interact with the trophy. It was really humbling and really nice to see.”

Brathwaite is no stranger to bringing people together; as the former captain of the West Indies team, the Barbados native was tasked with leading a group of players hailing from 15 different countries, each with their own culture, style and belief system.

It was not unlike managing a Major League clubhouse, with all of the proud plurality it contains.

“It’s a heavy weight and responsibility,” said Brathwaite. “But then you feel immense joy when you do have success as a West Indian. … It brings great joy and pride to our collection of nations.”