• All-rounder claims 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 he is not ready to make his return after taking a break from cricket’s long form.

The all-rounder stepped away from the red-ball game following England’s decision not to renew his central contract last September and has since taken on 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.