• All-rounder says he was an easy target after poor results• ‘If we lose I feel I am one of the first guys to get the blame’
Moeen Ali has claimed he was made a scapegoat for England’s Test failings when he was in the side and that is why he took a break from the long form of the game and is not ready yet to make his return.
The all-rounder stepped away from red-ball cricket following England’s decision not to renew his central contract last September and has since taken on various white-ball commitments around the world. That includes signing a contract to play in the
Pakistan Super League, a tournament that overlaps with England’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka in March.