Sri Lanka to honour landslide victims with black armbands in upcoming England tour

Sri Lanka will pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives in landslides that have rocked the nation when they face England in the first Test at Headingley starting tomorrow.

Rescue workers today recovered the bodies of 17 villagers buried in landslides in Sri Lanka after three days of torrential rain.

The disaster hit two small villages in Kegalle, a mountainous area northeast of Colombo, and takes the overall death toll from flooding and landslides in recent days to 36.

"We are so sad to hear about all the casualties and those who are affected," said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, speaking at Headingley in Leeds today.

"There are hundreds and thousands of people who are affected and we want to show our love and support. We will wear black armbands."

Mathews added the squad had a personal connection to the disaster, adding: "One of our support staff members, his brother has passed away yesterday (Tuesday).

"We are (focused on playing England) but at the same time our hearts will always be with them (the people of Sri Lanka).

Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

"It's very sad to hear. There have been landslides and floods in Sri Lanka for the past couple of weeks and people are really affected by it."