Many, including All Whites coach Ricki Herbert, expected and hoped he would be available for the two games in November. Glen Moss will be the first choice goalkeeper, and might have been even if Paston was available, but it's unclear who is second in line.
There are a handful of promising keepers, including Jake Gleeson, Michael O'Keefe, Scott Basalaj and Max Crocombe, but Paston could be relied on to deliver.
Few will forget his penalty save in the World Cup playoff against Bahrain that helped the All Whites qualify for South Africa.
It was a good save, Sayed Adnan didn't hit it particularly well, but his performance in the first leg in Bahrain was even more impressive when he helped New Zealand achieve a 0-0 draw to keep the tie alive.
He carried that on at the World Cup - he has his own 54-second entry on a Fifa compilation of top moments and performers at the last World Cup - and some of the saves he pulled off against Italy (1-1) and Paraguay (0-0) were world-class.
It led to him being linked with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur but he had to content himself with the delights of Westpac Stadium rather than White Hart Lane.
Paston probably saved his best for the All Whites.
He was consistently good when he played for the Phoenix but often had to sit on the bench behind Moss and never really made it in the UK - he had a handful of games for Bradford City, Walsall and St Johnstone before joining the Knights and Phoenix.
He was also beset by some serious injuries. Shoulder and groin injuries limited his opportunities in Britain and he twice broke his leg playing for Wellington, once only four months before the World Cup.
"I've had a lot more bad times than good, so it's very important to enjoy the good times," he said while at the World Cup.
The All Whites enjoyed the best of times with the help of Paston and for that he has left an indelible mark on soccer in this country.
