The SA senior national cricket teams go into their respective World Cup tournaments facing contrasting fortunes, with the women thriving while the men’s team still struggles to impose themselves and dominate their opponents.

The Proteas senior women's national cricket team is in a good space and shaping up nicely ahead of the 50-overs World Cup in New Zealand in March and April next year.

That the Proteas culture and team environment is toxic is a fact that was this week established, acknowledged and accepted by the new independent Cricket SA (CSA) board and, to an extent, by embattled head coach Mark Boucher.

Mark Boucher arrives back in SA tomorrow from Ireland with accusations of racist behaviour hanging over him after the Proteas coach got embroiled in a racial storm at Cricket SA's transformation hearings this week.