A decade ago, bowlers over the age of 40 were rarely selected for New Zealand teams.
Kernaghan, national strategy adviser for the New Zealand Cancer Society, does not know how long he can compete at the top level.
He will continue to give an honest assessment of his form when he competes in the Trans Tasman series and Eight Nations on the Gold Coast next week.
''If I know I'm not good enough then I won't hang around just to play at the Commonwealth Games,'' he said.
''My goal is to be really competitive at the elite level. I have enjoyed the environment since rejoining the Black Jacks over the last 18 months and if I can still perform at that level I'm keen to carry on.''
Kernaghan knows he cannot rest on his world championship gold medal laurels to be selected for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next year.
''That was six months ago. It was fantastic. But we have moved on from that and start again.
''We will be playing on Australian turf and the grass greens are slightly different.
''I've got to reaffirm to myself and the national selectors that I'm still able to compete at that elite level. I just want to play well in the next couple of weeks and see where it leads to.
''The Trans Tasman and the Eight Nations tournament will let me know if I am still able to match it with the big boys.''
Kernaghan has had plenty of support from friends and acquaintances since being crowned world champion in the fours in Christchurch last December.
But his wife Jan, family and friends have made sure that he has kept his feet firmly on the ground.
''Fame like that is very low in the attributes that we value. I'm still the same person and nothing has changed in that respect.''
Kernaghan first represented New Zealand in 1991 and competed in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Vancouver and won a bronze medal in the singles in Manchester in 2002.
''My approach on the Gold Coast will be no different than it's ever been. It's about getting all the processes right and being supportive of the guys around me in the team environment.
''If somebody's not going so good it's not about having a crack but about supporting him to get up for his next bowl.''
The seven players in the New Zealand team on the Gold Coast will be frontrunners to fill the five spots at next year's Commonwealth Games. The new format has reduced teams from seven to five players and each bowler will play in two disciplines.
Kernaghan leaves for Australia on Saturday. The three-day Trans Tasman series starts on May 31 and the five-day Eight Nations on June 3.
