A calming air has started to envelop Shakib Al Hasan. Gone are the furrowed eyebrows, the scything look or the monosyllabic response. The aftermath of a tumultuous time has been highly visible these days in his outlook.

Last October too had been a different time for Shakib. A quick browse through YouTube would be enough to find out just how charged up the Bangladesh skipper was, spitting venom with his looks. A misfield and you were ripped into bits, a wicket was celebrated like it was war while a sledge would be replied by a counter that isn't suitable for children. And heaven forbid ifyoudidn'tmove away from the sightscreens...

A year on from those heady times, Shakib has not just calmed down but this year has mostly seen an indifferent man.

His enigmatic facade has taken another shift ever since the unceremonious dismissal on that strange afternoon last month. What has helped in the interim, almost certainly, is the time he spent away from the country.

The question about his present frame of mind was tentatively put in front of him yesterday, whether it is different now that he's no longer the captain.

"Yes, I'm very relaxed. I can think more about myself," he said, smiling almost ear to ear.

"I think I'm quite fresh. I'm not thinking about it [burn-

out] , I'm more focused on the game. It's not like, 'Oh I'm mentally tired'. There's nothing like that, "added Shakib.

He expressed disappointment at the Tigers' lack of TWenty20 experience at the top level, though he is happy with how the team has prepared.

"No matter how much we work on it, the best way is to play lots of matches. We play international T20s after 3-6 months. It becomes difficult to adjust. If we play them

regularly, at least play one every series, it would do us a lot of good.

"I think the preparation has been very good. We played lots of matches, there was a tournament. We've all been working hard during the practice sessions. I think we're better prepared than what we were before the Zimbabwe series,” said Shakib.

The most successful batsman when Bangladesh wins, Shakib also shoved

aside talks of a problem facing the West Indies fast bowlers and handlingtheir shorter length.

"I don't see many problems in Mirpur," he said. "We have played in England and against Australia here, so I don't think the short ball is much of a problem for us. We would like to stick to our plans, be it batsmen or bowlers."

"It is a challenge for our batsmen, if we could do well against them our confidence will be much better. But I think our batsmen have this confidence of producing the goods. Still, our batting group has to be carefill and disciplined against their pace bowlers, if they want to do well," he added.

Lastly, there was a warning shot. The West Indies' weakness with the bat could be a key factor during the series and since none among the Tigers have willingly brought it up, Shakib's candour stood out.

"They [West Indies bats-men] are inexperienced, but they have good batsmen. Obviously we have to do perform in all departments if we want to do something good against them,” he said.