Cricket officials are investigating whether players in the Ashes series have been using silicone tape on their bats to avoid nicks being detected by “Hot Spot" technology, an Australian TV station reported Wednesday.

Australia skipper Michael Clarke and England batsman Kevin Pietersen both denied any knowledge of the use of silicone-based tape, saying such a practice would amount to cheating.

Australia's Channel Nine said the International Cricket Council (ICC) general manager of cricket, Geoff Allardice, would be investigating the matter in Durham, where the fourth Test begins on Friday.

An ICC spokesman confirmed that Allardice would be arriving in Durham on Thursday to meet the two teams to address their concerns on the controversial Decision Review System (DRS) but declined to comment on the alleged use of silicone-based tape.

Nine did not provide sources and gave no details of whether the Australian or England batsmen may have been using the tape to fool Hot Spot, which uses thermal cameras to see if a batsman has hit the ball, either with his bat or pad.